More aid, arms for Ukraine Russia says ‘would not help’

Agencies | Kyiv                                 

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Western allies yesterday dampened Ukraine’s hopes for a rapid shipment of battle tanks to boost its firepower for a spring offensive against Russian forces, with the United States urging Kyiv to hold off from mounting such an operation.

The United States’ top general, speaking after a meeting of the allies at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, also said it would be very hard for Ukraine to drive Russia’s invading forces from the country this year.

The run-up to the Ramstein meeting had been dominated by the issue of whether Germany would agree to send Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, or permit other countries that have them to do so. In the end, no decision on supplying Leopards was reached yesterday, officials said, although pledges for large amounts of other weapons including air defence systems and some other model of tanks, were given.

The United States was also holding fast to its decision not to provide Abrams tanks to Ukraine yet, a senior US official said in Washington. It wanted to see the latest supply of US weaponry in place and training provided, the official said.

In Ramstein, US General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference: “From a military standpoint, I still maintain that for this year, it would be very, very difficult to militarily eject the Russian forces from every inch of Russian-occupied Ukraine.”

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a news conference at the end of the Ramstein meeting that while time was of the essence in getting Ukraine the equipment and training it needed to take the fight to Russia’s forces in the spring, Ukraine was well-equipped even without the Leopards.

NATO Secretary- General Jens Stoltenberg told Reuters Ukraine’s backers needed to focus not only on sending new weapons, but supplying ammunition for older systems and helping maintain them.