IS THIS WHY ZELENSKY WENT AFTER PUTIN? IN ‘NO VICTORY, NO MONEY’ TALK, TOP REPUBLICAN MAKES THE U.S. CASE CLEAR TO ZELENSKY – ‘IF UKRAINE IS SUCCESSFUL…IT WILL BE A GAME-CHANGER FOR CONTINUED SUPPORT. IF THEY ARE NOT, THAT WILL ALSO HAVE AN IMPACT, IN A NEGATIVE WAY, THOUGH’ – EVEN AS U.S. PROPS UP ZELENSKY WITH ANOTHER US$399 MIL ARMS PACKAGE AHEAD OF ‘MAJOR OFFENSIVE’
US announces another arms package for Ukraine
The Pentagon announced a $300 million arms package for Ukraine on Wednesday, ahead of a long-promised spring offensive by Kiev’s forces. Ammunition shortages are reportedly plaguing the Ukrainian military, however, and the latest aid package will likely do little to alleviate the problem.
The package is the 37th tranche of military aid doled out to Ukraine by the US since August 2021. It brings to more than $35.7 billion the total amount of military aid doled out to Kiev by Washington since Russia’s military operation in Ukraine began last February.
According to a statement from the Pentagon, the package includes ammunition for Ukraine’s American-provided HIMARS rocket artillery systems, 155mm howitzers and artillery rounds, mortar rounds, wire-guided missiles, shoulder-fired anti-tank missiles, and Hydra-70 rockets, most commonly fired from attack helicopters.
RELATED STORIES:
Kremlin: Ukrainian Assassination Attempt on Putin Foiled
Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow Kremlin caught on camera (VIDEOS)
US Embassy in Kiev fears ‘missile attacks’
Russia warns of ‘retaliation’ for Ukrainian attack on Kremlin
Kiev claims ignorance of attempt on Putin’s life
As of January, the US no longer discloses how much of each ammunition type its arms packages include. Instead, the total number of each piece of equipment provided to date is noted on supplemental fact sheets enclosed with each statement from the Pentagon.
Ukraine was given more than half a million 155mm shells on March 20, bringing the total number given since last February to 1.5 million. However, Wednesday’s package is the third tranche of arms announced since that date, and every fact sheet since has noted that Ukraine has received “over 1,500,000” 155mm artillery rounds.
This pace of delivery falls dramatically short of the 356,400 rounds per month that Ukraine needs to fire its Western-provided guns at full capacity, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Aleksey Reznikov.
Ukraine has been gearing up for an offensive against Russian forces for several months now, with President Vladimir Zelensky stating on Wednesday that the operation would begin “soon.” However, recently leaked Pentagon documents suggested that ammunition may hinder the offensive, and a report by Politico last month claimed that behind closed doors, the Biden administration is worried that the much-vaunted operation may fail.
Russia’s position on Western arms deliveries remains unchanged, with Kremlin officials repeatedly warning that, by arming Ukraine, Western nations have made themselves de-facto participants in the conflict.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated last month that no amount of foreign weapons would “influence the final outcome of the special operation.” RT
Support for Ukraine depends on counteroffensive – top US Republican
The success or failure of the expected Ukrainian counteroffensive against Russian forces will decide the future of Western aid to Kiev, US Congressman Michael McCaul has told Bloomberg. The Texas Republican also offered a scenario for what might happen afterward.
“You’re going to see a counteroffensive very soon now,” McCaul, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Bloomberg TV on Monday. “I think there’s going to be a lot riding on the line with this counteroffensive. If Ukraine is successful in the eyes of the American people and the world, I think it will be a game-changer for continued support. If they are not, that will also have an impact, in a negative way, though.”
Republicans currently have a small majority in the House of Representatives, while Democrats hold the Senate and the White House. While some members of the party have criticized the amount of weapons, ammunition and money sent to Kiev, McCaul is part of the group that favors sending more, and faster.
Ukraine has been trumpeting the start of a major attack for weeks, though multiple officials have complained about a lack of ammunition, weapons, and even the weather.
Speaking to Bloomberg’s ‘Balance of Power’ show, McCaul ventured a guess as to where the fighting might happen.
“My prediction is they will try to go down and hit the land bridge in Crimea and have a very dramatic bold strategy that then would push back Russian aggression,” he said, adding that afterward Kiev could possibly “call for a ceasefire, after which we can then maybe have negotiations, to finally resolve this.”
Such a scenario was outlined last month by Politico, in a story alleging the US government was skeptical of Kiev’s chances in battle and pushing for an open-ended truce that would enable Ukraine to catch a break.
Last week, the US general commanding NATO forces in Europe told Congress that Kiev’s forces had already received 98% of the promised armored vehicles from the West. President Vladimir Zelensky’s top adviser, Mikhail Podoliak, disagreed on Ukrainian TV, calling the estimate “much too large.”
The Russian Defense Ministry estimated that the US and its allies had delivered more than $100 billion worth of weapons, equipment and ammunition to Ukraine as of December 2022. Multiple Western governments have pointed out that their stockpiles are now running low and gearing up production to meet Kiev’s needs would take years. RT.COM
Kremlin: Ukrainian Assassination Attempt on Putin Foiled
TEHRAN (FNA)- Ukraine launched two drone attacks overnight intended to strike the Kremlin residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin, his office reported.
The aircraft were downed using electronic warfare measures and caused no casualties or damage, it said in a statement. Moscow considers the incident an act of terrorism, RT reported.
The incident occurred late on Tuesday night, and both unmanned aircraft fell on the grounds of the Kremlin in Moscow, according to the president’s office. His schedule was not affected.
“We consider this a preplanned terrorist action and an attempt against the Russian president,” it added. The incident happened “ahead of Victory Day and the parade on May 9, when foreign guests plan to be present”.
Russia reserves the right to retaliate in a manner, place and time of its choosing, the statement noted.
Putin’s Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists that the president was absent from the Kremlin when the drones were downed. He is currently at the presidential residence in Novo-Ogaryovo in Moscow Region, which is located to the west of the capital.
Peskov told RIA Novosti that the Russian leader was not in the Kremlin when the raid happened. He added that Putin was working at his Novo-Ogaryovo residence near Moscow on Wednesday.
There is footage circulating on social media, which purports to show the aftermath, with a plume of smoke rising against the night cityscape from the territory of the historic seat of Russian power. – https://www.farsnews.ir/
RT.COM / https://www.farsnews.ir/
.