The U.S. military commented on its latest scheduled arms and ammunition delivery to Ukraine, noting that more rockets will be provided to Kyiv forces to hit more Russian targets at further ranges.
TR reported Tuesday that the United States seemed reluctant to supply Ukraine with more High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) rocket launchers, and instead planned to supply Kyiv forces with just more rockets, not launchers .
“We have sent 16 HIMARS systems, which is actually a lot,” US Undersecretary of Defense Colin Kahl said during a Monday briefing, adding that the US is now focused on providing munitions for rocket launchers.
He noted that the UK had also provided Ukraine with three HIMARS units and that Germany had promised to send three more, for use in kyiv’s conflict with Moscow.
“So our assessment is actually that the Ukrainians are doing quite well in terms of the number of [HIMARS] systems… And the same is true on the M777 howitzer front where we have really delivered a huge number of systems,” the Undersecretary said.
“Right now the priority is to make sure the Ukrainians have the ammunition to keep them in the fight,” Kahl added.
The Pentagon last week announced a billion-dollar weapons package for Ukraine, including munitions for HIMARS and National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) as well as a number of vehicles.
The package constitutes the largest single military package to Ukraine through the Presidential Withdrawal Authority.
In total, the United States has donated about $18 billion in aid to Ukraine this year.
In this regard, former President Donald Trump criticized the Biden administration for providing massive military and financial aid to Ukraine amid Washington’s economic woes.
Speaking at a summit in Florida on Saturday, Trump claimed the United States had “so far given over $60 billion to Ukraine.”
Trump said Americans themselves were in dire economic straits and had too many problems themselves. He said the United States was unable to deliver money and weapons to kyiv.
Trump stressed that fiscal and military aid to Kyiv would not change the situation on the ground in Ukraine which has now dragged on for five months.
“Russia has 35 times the firepower,” the former president said.
Trump revealed that the United States “has gone from the strongest it has ever been…to perhaps the weakest, especially if you include recognition and respect from around the world.”
“We are no longer respected by anyone,” Trump said.
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