The administration of US President Joe Biden is preparing to increase the number of weapons supplied to Ukraine as military aid, adding advanced long-range missile systems to the list. This was reported on Thursday, May 26, by CNN, citing sources in the US administration.
The Russian Armed Forces destroyed the Ukrainian electronic intelligence center. Special operation in Donbass on May 26
How events are developing in the LDNR, in Ukraine and in the world against its background – in the text broadcast of Izvestia
It is noted that an increase in the aid package to Kyiv may be announced next week. In particular, we are talking about adding to the list such weapons as multiple launch rocket systems (MLRS).
According to the TV channel, representatives of Kyiv are counting on the American MLRS, since they can launch missiles hundreds of kilometers and are superior in this parameter to any weapon system already in the arsenal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This fact, in turn, can “change the rules of the game” in a positive way for Ukraine, the material specifies.
Another weapon that Kyiv has requested is a highly mobile artillery rocket system known as HIMARS. It is a lightweight wheeled system that is capable of firing many of the same types of munitions as the MLRS and can fire missiles up to 300km, the sources added.
At the same time, the White House ignored Kyiv’s desire for several weeks amid fears that the Ukrainian side could use these weapons to shell Russian territory directly.
Officials also said on condition of anonymity that, according to Washington, a workaround in this situation could be to provide Ukraine with shorter-range missile systems.
On May 25, the German publication Zeit Online, citing sources, reported that there were informal agreements between NATO countries to refrain from supplying certain weapons systems to Ukraine.
According to Dmitry Belik, a member of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, which he expressed in a conversation with Izvestia, by refraining from supplying certain weapons systems to Ukraine, NATO countries are trying to balance between military assistance to Kyiv and the absence of direct confrontation with Russia.
Meanwhile, on May 21, Vladimir Skalkin, associate professor at the Department of Economics at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, explained in an interview with Izvestia that the law on assistance to Ukraine is beneficial for the United States, since Washington intends to clean up the world arms markets and benefit from it.
Western countries began to arm Ukraine against the backdrop of a Russian special operation to protect civilians in Donbass, which began on February 24. Moscow explained that the tasks of the special operation include the demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine, the implementation of which is necessary to ensure the security of Russia. The decision was made against the backdrop of aggravation in the region as a result of shelling by the Ukrainian military.