Saturday marked the 100th day since Russian President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine on February 24. Recent weeks have seen an increase in fighting in the eastern Donbas region after Russian forces withdrew from around Kyiv and Chernihiv in the north. With Russia making steady gains in the east and south, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has continued to ask Western countries for more weaponry.
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that the United States will send advanced rocket systems as part of the new $700 million weapons package. High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, have strike capabilities of up to 50 miles, which could bring Russian territory within range. After the announcement, a senior administration official told The New York Times that they received “assurances” from Ukrainian leaders that the rocket system will not be used for that purpose. Another exclusive report on Wednesday from Reuters claimed that the United States plans to sell armed drones to Ukraine in the coming days. The four MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones can each be equipped with up to eight Hellfire missiles. The report states that “the Gray Eagle represents a technological leap because it can fly up to 30 hours or more depending on the mission and can collect large amounts of data for intelligence purposes.” Although Congress could still block the sale, that’s unlikely to happen given the steady increase in capabilities being shipped as the war progresses.
These latest arms shipments come shortly after Congress approved $40 billion in aid to Ukraine, most of which is earmarked for military support and far exceeds Europe’s own contributions. This package was seen as a key change in perspective for Washington, as it provides funding until the end of September, signaling the expectation of a long and drawn out conflict. However, since the beginning of the war, the United States and other Western powers have not made it clear how far they are willing to go to confront Russia and what final geopolitical result should be sought. Since Ukraine is putting up such stiff resistance mainly due to heavy military support from Western allies, the goals and limits of support from the West must be clearly defined.
While Ukraine undoubtedly has the right to seek ultimate victory, the United States and other allies should be very concerned about triggering a broader conflict that could easily go nuclear. One would think that this very real concern would translate into a concerted push for dialogue and a peace agreement, but that doesn’t seem to necessarily be the case. A report by Ukrainska Pravda, citing sources close to Zelensky, claims that Boris Johnson told the president “even if Ukraine is ready to sign some agreements on guarantees with Putin,” Ukraine’s allies are not, for the most part, the United States. . This comes after President Biden’s announcement. -said that Putin “cannot stay in power” and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin declared that the US goal was to see a “weakened” Russia. What’s more, the top US diplomat, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, has not spoken to his Russian counterpart since the start of the war.
President Joe Biden penned an op-ed in The New York Times this week outlining “What the United States Will and Won’t Do in Ukraine” to clear up the confusion. “The US goal is simple: we want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend against further aggression,” he said. It further states that the United States “will not attempt to bring about [Putin’s] overthrow” unless attacked, “will not participate directly in the conflict” and will not “encourage or allow Ukraine to attack beyond its borders.” President Biden ends his article with a stern warning to Vladimir Putin: “Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale…would have serious consequences.”
This framework to help Ukraine in its struggle for sovereignty sounds reasonable. It outlines the goal of seeing an independent Ukraine, giving them the means to do so, all while keeping a distance from direct confrontation with Russia. However, some political analysts have noted that the president’s purported goals and red lines contradict both past statements by administration officials and government actions.
First of all, stating that the United States will not seek Putin’s removal contradicts Biden’s own statement in Poland over a month ago that I mentioned above. Second, as the war progresses, US involvement continues to increase and could arguably be considered a direct engagement against Russia. An exclusive Sky News interview with Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of the US Cyber Command and director of the National Security Agency (NSA), revealed that military hackers have been conducting offensive operations in support of Ukraine. “We have done a number of operations across the spectrum; offensive, defensive [and] information operations,” General Nakasone said. Third, the latest US shipment of advanced weaponized rocket and drone systems provides the potential to strike inside Russian territory. HIMARS have strike capabilities of 50 miles, while Gray Eagle Drones can fly up to 30 hours or more and can be equipped with up to eight Hellfire missiles.
There is no debate whether Russia’s war of aggression is a violation of international law. It is a blatant affront to Ukraine’s sovereignty and has led to multiple documented war crimes. However, the main objective of the international community must be to create the conditions for a ceasefire and, ultimately, a peace agreement. However, as Branko Marcetic writes in Jacobin, “…there has been little interest or effort on the part of Washington to prepare for a diplomatic resolution…even as it has become increasingly entangled in what both Russian and American voices are increasingly calling more a proxy war. between the two nuclear superpowers. Ivan Katchanovski, a Ukrainian professor of political studies at the University of Ottawa, echoed these concerns, arguing that the United States and the United Kingdom have shown “no effort or desire to reach a peaceful settlement.”
Washington’s varied rhetoric on the conflict has not helped. Comments by President Biden calling Vladimir Putin a “war criminal” and saying he “cannot stay in power” were rejected by the White House. But with other high-level officials, such as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, expressing similar sentiments, it can be hard to decipher what America’s true intentions are, even after Biden tried to set the record straight with his op-ed. The Kremlin has certainly taken Joe Biden’s statements and the growing arms shipments from the United States seriously. Russia has warned that providing Ukraine with long-range weapons that can hit its territory is an “unacceptable escalation” that simply “adds fuel to the fire”.
While the US must not agree to all of Russia’s demands, more care must be taken to make its intentions clear and not trigger a nuclear conflict. A simulation by the Princeton Global Science and Security Project found that approximately 90 million casualties would occur in the first hours of a nuclear war between the United States and Russia. The simulation used “realistic nuclear force postures” so this reality should not be taken lightly.
The swift and severe response of the international community to the Kremlin’s aggression has certainly been commendable. Russia’s military could far outnumber Ukraine’s. The arms shipments have allowed Ukraine to mount a strong defense against advancing Russian forces. However, many Western nations, most notably the United States, appear to have abandoned the diplomatic front and will instead fight Russia to the last Ukrainian. France and Germany recently called for a “diplomatic solution” when speaking with Putin.
The United States should join France and Germany in helping push the war toward a peace agreement. Although Ukraine insists that “any concession to Russia is not a path to peace,” neither is flooding the war zone with billions of dollars worth of weapons. The first step on any path to peace will be to ease tensions with Russia to the point where they are willing to sit down to negotiate. Today, the continued shipment of increasingly advanced weaponry by the United States is angering the Kremlin and possibly leading the world slowly toward nuclear war. At the same time, Washington has shown an unwillingness to engage Russia in even the most minor diplomatic negotiations. To reach a diplomatic solution and avoid a military stalemate in which more and more lives are lost behind the backs of foreign weapons, the United States should redirect its efforts toward the negotiating table.
White House officials told reporters Tuesday night that the new weapons package, the 11th tranche of such weapons the United States has sent to Ukraine, includes the rocket system, counterfire radars, aerial surveillance, additional Javelin anti-tank missiles. and other anti-armor weapons.
Is Ukraine using HIMARS?
As you have probably noticed on social media, Ukrainians now notice that they have HIMARS in their country.
How many batteries are there in a HIMARS battalion? Each HIMARS system consists of a launcher, two resupply vehicles and two resupply trailers. On the same subject : $ 450 Million New US Aid to Ukraine – US State Department. Each HIMARS battalion will contain three firing batteries, each equipped with six launchers and their associated resupply vehicles and trailers.
How much does a HIMARS cost?
HIMARS/MLRS systems can fire a special munition that reaches extremely long distances, the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). Range is approximately 190 miles; the cost is well over a million dollars each, although the system has been out of production since the late 2000s. Each pod carries only one of these missiles.
What does the HIMARS fire?
PrSM. PrSM is an all-weather, surface-to-surface precision attack guided missile fired from HIMARS and M270. See the article : The Supreme Court Decides Ruan v. United States Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP – JDSupra.
How does us get weapons into Ukraine?
The United States and its NATO allies fly military equipment to Eastern Europe, from where it is trucked to Ukraine: drones, armored vehicles, howitzers, shoulder-launched missiles, even helicopters and tanks worth billions of dollars. See the article : FACT SHEET: The US and G7 will take more steps to support Ukraine and hold the Russian Federation accountable. .
Who supplies weapons to Ukraine? Polish and US media reported that Warsaw supplied more than 200 tanks, which would make it Ukraine’s second largest arms supplier after the United States. Warsaw said it also transferred anti-tank missiles, mortars, ammunition and drones.
Have the us weapons reached Ukraine?
The US military effort to move weapons to Eastern Europe for the Ukraine fight has been herculean. From Dover Air Base in Delaware, US airmen have flown nearly 70 missions to deliver some 7 million pounds of javelins, stingers, 155mm howitzers, helmets and other essentials to Eastern Europe since February.
How does the US support Ukraine?
Since 2014, the United States has provided more than $8.7 billion in security assistance for training and equipment to help Ukraine preserve its territorial integrity, secure its borders, and improve interoperability with NATO.
How long does it take to reload HIMARS?
| Country of origin | USA |
|---|---|
| warhead weight | 120kg |
| Shooting range | 40 / 60 / 100 kilometers |
| Full salvo duration | ~25s |
| recharge time | 5 minutes |
How much has UK given to Ukraine?
LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) – Britain said it would provide a further 1.3 billion pounds ($1.6 billion) in military support and aid to Ukraine, making the promise ahead of a planned video call between Group of Seven leaders on Sunday. with Ukrainian President Volodymyr. Zelenskiy.
What has the UK given Ukraine? The UK will provide another military aid package to Ukraine, the Prime Minister announced today. The new support will include: Over 800 more NLAW anti-tank missiles. Additional Javelin anti-tank systems.
How much have the UK donated to Ukraine?
UK to provide 1.3 billion pounds of additional military support to Ukraine | Reuters.
Does the UK give aid to Ukraine?
The UK provides more humanitarian aid focused on the most vulnerable in Ukraine. A UK support package will help reach the most vulnerable people affected by the conflict in Ukraine, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced today.
