U.S. announces additional assistance as Ukraine requests long-range strike support

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy of Ukraine implored Western allies on Friday to disregard Moscow’s “red lines” and permit Kyiv to employ long-range weapons for strikes on Russian territory. Washington also pledged an additional $250 million in weaponry for Kyiv.

At Ramstein Air Base in Germany, Zelenskiy made his inaugural appearance at a routine U.S.-hosted gathering of Ukraine’s allies. His objective was to present the long-range strike options as an additional method of pressuring Russia to conclude the two-and-a-half-year-old conflict.

He delivered his speech at a critical juncture for Ukrainian forces, who have embarked on an unexpected offensive in Russia’s Kursk region. Meanwhile, Russian forces are concentrating on the capture of Pokrovsk, a logistics center for Kyiv’s war effort in eastern Ukraine.

Zelenskiy stated, “We must have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine, but also on Russian territory, yes, so that Russia is motivated to seek peace.” His statement garnered support from countries such as Estonia and Lithuania, both of which are Baltic nations. A frontier with Russia is shared by the latter.

For an extended period, Zelenskiy has identified allies who have provided long-range weapons but have informed Kyiv that they are prohibited from utilizing them in the interior of Russia due to the potential for a direct conflict between the West and Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia.

Zelenskiy stated in his address at Ramstein on Friday that Russia’s endeavors to establish red lines are rendered ineffective.

According to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the Kursk offensive serves as an illustration of Ukraine’s efforts to reclaim the battlefield initiative.

“The Kremlin’s army of aggression is now on the defensive on its own turf,” Austin asserted.

Austin’s remarks, however, appeared to be more concerned with the broader Western endeavor to support Ukraine’s campaign to repel Russian forces from its territory, which included an announcement of an additional $250 million in security assistance..

Vladimir Putin’s animosity is profound. “Moscow is persisting in its offensive in the eastern region of Ukraine, particularly in the vicinity of Pokrovsk,” Austin stated. “In Kursk, Putin is repositioning his troops.” At the same time, the Kremlin continues to target Ukraine’s civilians and bombard Ukraine’s cities.

Americans are currently gearing up for a presidential election in November that could have significant consequences for Ukraine. These discussions are taking place in Germany. Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic candidate, has pledged to support Ukraine.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, has pledged to promptly resolve the Ukraine war upon assuming office. This may involve engaging in peace negotiations that may necessitate Kyiv relinquishing territory. Many of Trump’s supporters are skeptical of the billions of dollars in aid that Biden’s administration has provided to Ukraine’s war effort.

WAR’S TOLL

Germany promised to provide Kyiv with an additional 12 self-propelled howitzers, while Canada announced its intention to dispatch 80,840 surplus small unarmed air-to-surface rockets and 1,300 warheads in the coming months.

Austin provided stats on the impact of the conflict on Russian forces, estimating that over 350,000 Russian troops have been killed or wounded. He claimed that Ukrainian forces have driven the Black Sea Fleet further east and scuttled, destroyed, or damaged 32 vessels of the Russian Navy.

In Ukraine’s Kursk offensive, Zelenskiy reported that approximately 6,000 Russian soldiers had been slain or wounded.

“We currently possess control over an area of over 1,300 square kilometers in the Kursk region, which encompasses 100 settlements,” Zelenskiy stated. He also noted that a significant portion of this territory was abandoned by Russian forces.

“They simply fled when they saw our forces approaching.”

However, Moscow has also been bombarding cities throughout Ukraine with missiles and drones in some of its most significant attacks since its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Zelenskiy urged representatives from the dozens of countries attending the Ramstein talks to fulfill their commitments to provide Kyiv with additional tools to defend against airstrikes.

“The number of air defence systems that have not yet been delivered is significant,” indicated Zelenskiy.

This month, Zelenskiy is anticipated to visit the United States and intends to present a “victory plan” to President Joe Biden. However, the future of the advance into Russian territory remains uncertain, as the conflict continues to persist and the Kursk incursion has not yet succeeded in diverting Russian forces from Ukraine.

After Kyiv’s 2023 counter-offensive failed to accomplish a significant breakthrough, Russian forces, which currently control 18% of Ukraine, have been gradually advancing in the east.

“The conditions for peace talks with Ukraine do not currently exist,” the Kremlin has stated.