WASHINGTON — The United States will send an additional $800 million worth of military and other security aid to Ukraine and step up intelligence sharing, American officials announced on Wednesday, as Russian forces appeared to be preparing for a new offensive in the country’s east.President Biden promised that the assistance would include more of the weapons that the United States has previously given Ukraine, as well as new capabilities. The expanded intelligence sharing will make available more information about Russian troops in Crimea and the eastern Donbas region, parts of the country that Russia and Russian-backed separatists have occupied since 2014 or 2015.Mr. Biden delivered the news about the arms package to President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine during a nearly hourlong telephone call on Wednesday, according to White House officials. In a statement, Mr. Biden vowed to continue efforts to support Ukraine, which has been pummeled by Russian artillery over the past month.“As I assured President Zelensky, the American people will continue to stand with the brave Ukrainian people in their fight for freedom,” Mr. Biden said.The issue of what military assistance to send Ukraine, and how fast to send it, has taken on greater urgency as the war has become a series of grinding battles between the Ukrainian and Russian armies. Mr. Zelensky has pleaded for more sophisticated weapons from the United States and its allies.The Biden administration has responded with antitank weapons, including Javelin missiles, and other weapons that Ukrainian soldiers have used to repel Russian forces, especially in the north of the country. The United States has so far resisted helping Ukraine acquire fighter jets and other weaponry that could be used against targets inside Russia.Mr. Biden said on Wednesday that the additional aid for Ukraine would include more sophisticated weaponry, such as artillery systems and armored personnel carriers.Top Pentagon officials met with the leaders of the largest U.S. military contractors on Wednesday to discuss the flow of arms to Ukraine and what additional capabilities would help the country defend itself.But the United States is also looking at advanced weapons in European stockpiles that Ukrainian troops already know how to use.Mr. Biden said the United States would transfer additional helicopters as well, though he did not indicate whether they would come directly from the United States or from another country. The United States previously provided Ukraine with five Russian-designed Mi-17 helicopters that the Afghan military had once used.Live Updates: Russia-Ukraine War
Updated April 13, 2022, 5:21 p.m. ETCaptured Ukrainian oligarch was a figure in the U.S. investigation into Russian electoral meddling.Le Pen backs NATO-Russia reconciliation and a reduced French role in the alliance.The U.S. has expanded intelligence sharing with Ukraine about Russian troops in the Donbas region.The United States is also providing 18 155-millimeter howitzers, the first time it has sent that weapon to Ukraine, and 40,000 artillery rounds.Last week, Slovakia agreed to send Ukraine a Soviet-era S-300 air defense system after the United States committed to positioning a more modern Patriot system in Slovakia. The United States has also helped European countries transfer Russian-designed T-72 tanks to Ukraine.Russian forces failed to take Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, after trying for several weeks and now appear to be regrouping in eastern Ukraine, including in the Donbas region. Western officials say they expect the Kremlin to mount a major offensive there.Independent analysts have said that Russia hopes to destroy Ukraine’s army and then might attack Kyiv from the south. European intelligence officials said President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia wanted to make significant battlefield gains ahead of May 9, when he is set to deliver an annual speech commemorating the Soviet Union’s victory in World War II.John F. Kirby, the chief Pentagon spokesman, said the latest weapons shipment approved by Mr. Biden would be sent to Ukraine as soon as possible.Russia-Ukraine War: Key Developments
Card 1 of 4U.S. support.President Biden told Ukraine that the United States would send it an additional $800 million in military and other security aid. American officials, meanwhile, confirmed they had increased the flow of intelligence to Ukraine about Russian forces in the Donbas and Crimea.Gathering evidence of atrocities.Investigators are racing to secure evidence of possible war crimes committed by Russians in northern Ukraine. This push comes as President Biden for the first time accused Russia of carrying out a “genocide” against the Ukrainian people.ABy: Julian E. Barnes and Michael D. Shear
Title: Biden Announces $800 Million in Military Assistance for Ukraine
Sourced From: www.nytimes.com/2022/04/13/us/politics/biden-weapons-ukraine.html
Published Date: Wed, 13 Apr 2022 21:44:29 +0000
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