Russia says arms transfers can lead 'onto the path of direct military confrontation'

by Kyle Anzalone 

National security adviser Jake Sullivan says the US is committed to providing Ukraine with the "weapons it needs" to fight Russia. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed skepticism that the US would come through. Russia warned the weapon shipments "can lead the US and the Russian Federation onto the path of direct military confrontation.”

Sullivan appeared on Sunday morning news shows to say the US was continuing its military support for Kyiv. On "This Week," he said, "We’re going to get Ukraine the weapons it needs to beat back the Russians to stop them from taking more cities and towns where they commit these crimes."

Later, on "Meet the Press," Sullivan said, "weapons are arriving [in Ukraine] every day." He continued, “some have been delivered, others are in the process of being delivered. And we will continue to work aggressively to get Ukraine what it needs to strengthen its hand on the battlefield, and to strengthen its hand at the bargaining table.”

The US recently announced it was planning to transfer S-300 air defense systems from Slovakia to Ukraine. Zelensky has been asking for weeks to be provided with weapons to take back Ukraine’s airspace. The US plans to transfer Patriot air defenses to Slovoking to replace the S-300s.

The US has announced a total of $1.7 billion into Ukraine since the invasion began and has been joined by its NATO allies. On Saturday, the UK announced it would provide Kyiv with 120 armored vehicles and anti-ship missiles. Germany offered 100 howitzer artillery systems to Ukraine.

Russia cautioned the military aid could make the US a party to the conflict. “We warn that such actions are dangerous. They can lead the U.S. and the Russian Federation onto the path of direct military confrontation,” said Russian Ambassador to the US Anatoly Antonov.

Despite the Western commitment to arm Ukraine, Zelensky has continued to demand more. In a "60 Minutes" interview, he said, “I have 100% confidence in our people and in our armed forces, but unfortunately I don’t have the confidence that we will be receiving everything we need.”

Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko made an appeal for arms. "Weapons support is very, very important for us in this critical time – and we see who are the real friends of Ukraine," he said. The Ukrainian delegation to the US also warned the weapons were not arriving fast enough.


Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/04/10/us-promises-to-give-ukraine-the-weapons-it-needs-ukraine-is-worried-they-wont-arrive/