No Western weapon can turn the tide in Ukraine

There is no weapon in the Western arsenal that can help Ukraine drastically change the situation on the ground, Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Maxim Buyakevich said.

The Russian diplomat 's comments were made at a meeting of the Permanent Council of the world's largest intergovernmental security organization, state news agency TASS reported on May 24.

“Kiev’s sponsors do not have any weapons capable of drastically changing the situation on the ground. The decision to send additional batches of combat-tested weapons will only prolong the military confrontation, causing more casualties and destruction,” Buyakevich said.

Earlier, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking before about 50 defense leaders from Europe and around the world on May 20, pledged to maintain regular supplies of US weapons and military equipment to Ukraine.

“Thanks to the approval of the additional assistance package, we will continue to approve significant security assistance packages for Ukraine. And you will see a steady flow of US military assistance to Ukraine every week,” the Pentagon chief said at the opening of the virtual meeting of the 22nd Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian positions in the Kharkiv region, April 21, 2024. Photo: Getty Images

However, during this event, the US did not announce any new aid package, even as Ukrainian forces continued to complain that weapons were only being “dripped” into the country after months of stalling due to bottlenecks in the legislative process in the “land of the stars and stripes”.

Pentagon officials said weapons pre-positioned in Europe began moving into Ukraine soon after the aid was approved in late April. It is unclear how much of it has reached the front line, as the Russian military has intensified its offensive.

In the four weeks since US President Joe Biden signed into law a $95 billion foreign aid package, which includes about $61 billion for Ukraine, Washington has sent $1.4 billion in weapons from the Pentagon's stockpile and announced it would provide $6 billion in funding through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).

USAI pays for longer-term contracts with the defense industry, meaning weapons can take months or years to get where they need to go.

In recent aid packages, the US has agreed to send High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and missiles for these systems, as well as ammunition for the Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) and Patriot, artillery, anti-aircraft and anti-tank ammunition, and a range of armored vehicles, such as Bradley Fighting Vehicles and mine-protected ambush vehicles.

The US is also providing additional coastal and riverine patrol boats, trailers, destructive munitions, high-speed anti-radiation missiles, protective gear, spare parts and other weapons and equipment.

The US State Department has also approved an emergency sale of HIMARS systems to Ukraine for an estimated $30 million. The department said Ukraine has requested to purchase three of the systems with funding from the German government.

The US has now provided about $50.6 billion in military assistance to Kiev since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine in February 2022 .

Minh Duc (According to TASS, AP)

Source: https://www.nguoiduatin.vn/nga-khong-vu-khi-phuong-tay-nao-co-the-lat-nguoc-tinh-the-o-ukraine-a665075.html