The Pentagon is working to send additional military equipment and weapons to Ukraine’s military after President Joe Biden’s weekend authorization of an additional $200 million to the embattled country, said a Department of Defense spokesman.
“We’re going to get working on that right away to get that additional material into their hands,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told ABC News on Sunday.
Without specifying what kind of U.S. military equipment or firepower is being supplied, Kirby noted that Ukraine’s military has most effectively used air defense systems, drones, and man-portable air-defense systems, or MANPADS.
“They are doing very well with that and we believe those are what they need the most,” Kirby told the outlet.
Kirby noted that the reportedly slowed Russian advance near Kyiv and the fact that Ukrainian forces continue to contest the airspace above their country after more than two weeks are evidence that the military aid is making a difference.
About a week ago, the U.S. military sent Patriot surface-to-air missile batteries to Poland to deal with any potential threats, officials said.
There was also confusion about whether Poland would provide aging MiG-29 fighter planes to Ukraine, with an official saying that the planes would be transferred to a U.S. air base in Germany. The announcement drew pushback from Pentagon and White House officials, including Kirby.
Over the past weekend, Russian officials warned that it considers any weapon deliveries into Ukraine as potential targets to be fired upon.
Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Saturday that Moscow has “warned the U.S. that pumping weapons from a number of countries it orchestrates isn’t just a dangerous move, it’s an action that makes those convoys legitimate targets.”
Since the start of the war, Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have repeatedly called on the United States and NATO partners to establish a no-fly zone. But the White House and NATO’s leadership have denied such a proposal, saying it would sharply escalate the conflict with Russia.
“Russia has attacked the International Center for Peacekeeping & Security near Lviv. Foreign instructors work here. Information about the victims is being clarified,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said on social media. “This is new terrorist attack on peace & security near the EU-NATO border. Action must be taken to stop this.”
Michael Gove, a UK lawmaker, said that the strikes near the Polish border marked a “significant escalation” in the conflict. Poland is a NATO country, and top officials in the alliance have said they will defend their territories if Russia attacks.
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