Washington
CNN
–
There has been a “significant” change in the type of weapons the US and its allies are providing to Ukraine to meet Kyiv’s ceasefire requests, two senior US officials told CNN.
The latest US aid includes more offensive weapons, such as Bradley fighting vehicles and advanced long-range missile systems, reflecting the nature of the battlefield in eastern Ukraine and the belief that Ukraine sees a window to regain territory. before the Russians regrouped, one of the officials said, describing the new weapons systems as giving the Ukrainians “a lot more power.”
One of the US officials also noted that Ukraine has complied with the restrictions on the use of weapons provided by the West so far, which has provoked them to send capable systems.
US officials have emphasized that the Ukrainians are developing and pursuing their own strategy, and US actions are intended to support that strategy and meet their military needs.
“We have been in constant communication with Ukraine about what it needs to defend itself, and we believe we are meeting that need. As the situation has changed, so has our assistance,” NSC spokeswoman Adrienne Watson told CNN.
Last week, in the largest military aid announcement since the war began, the United States said it was providing Bradleys, which one of the top Pentagon officials said was meant to strengthen Ukraine’s military capabilities.
Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder also said last week that the Bradleys, which can carry armored combat vehicles and be equipped with TOW guided missiles, will provide “a level of fire and weaponry that will benefit them.” On the battlefield Ukraine continues to defend their motherland.”
Experts agree that the Bradleys will give Kyiv a new offensive capability.
“What I would imagine the Ukrainians are going to do is take 50 Bradleys and deploy most of them to one battalion or one armored brigade … and create an iron fist that can be used to penetrate Russian direct defenses,” he said. said Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former commander of U.S. Forces Europe and NATO’s Land Command and current senior adviser at Human Rights First.
“We are positioning Ukraine to be able to go forward and take it back,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper added on Friday.
The Biden administration has so far stressed its support for Ukraine’s defense against Russian attacks, particularly air defense, which Ryder said Friday remains a “top priority.”
The “significant” change in weapons they are supplying gives Ukraine more offensive power than it did in the early months of the war, one US official said.
The changes, which include the delivery of advanced long-range missile defense systems such as the Patriot missile system and armored vehicles such as the Bradley that officials have described as “tank killers,” follow Ukraine’s military showing that they can take advantage of the systems by No bombing inside Russia. land. The US has already provided other long-range systems such as the Advanced Artillery Missile System, or HIMARS, which Ukraine recently used in an attack against Russian forces in the occupied city of Makiivka.
The United States and its allies assess that Ukraine will take advantage of the expansion of offensive operations now, to retake territory before Russia is able to regroup its forces for any of its offensive operations.
On Friday, Cooper said that Russian President Vladimir Putin “has not given up on his goals” to seize territory in Ukraine, but “the reality of Russia’s weakness … has fallen on those goals.” Ryder added that one of those weaknesses is Russia’s ability to defend its territory.
“So, when you look at the United States and the international response by providing the equipment, and now the training that we are providing, it allows Ukraine the opportunity to change the equation on the battlefield and gain momentum and not only to defend their territory, but we hopefully they’ll take back land,” Ryder said.
Advocates of putting more power in the hands of the Ukrainian military say now is the time to increase Washington’s power over Kyiv. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Bob Gates called for “increased logistics and military capability.” The most important capability they need, Rice and Gates said, is weapons.
Since the announcement of Bradleys in Ukraine, there have been questions about what comes next, namely if the US would consider M1 Abrams tanks. When asked about the refusal to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine on Friday, Cooper told reporters that the administration is “always looking at what Ukraine needs” but they should “be aware of maintenance and sustainment considerations for the tanks.”
