Kiev warns of US arms embargo on Russia as war in Ukraine enters fourth year.
As the Russia-Ukraine war enters its fourth year, Kiev, the Ukrainian capital, has warned that the US decision to halt arms aid could embolden Russia.
On Tuesday, the US White House announced a temporary halt to some arms deliveries. The decision was made after the US Department of Defense reviewed military aid to other countries “in order to prioritize our national interests,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry responded by saying, “Any delays in supporting our defense capabilities will only embolden the aggressor to continue terrorism and war. That is not the path to peace.”
As Russia increasingly targets Ukraine with missiles and drones, Kiev has made it clear that it needs to further strengthen its air defense systems. On Wednesday, the US diplomat was invited to the Foreign Ministry for talks.
However, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry responded by saying that it had not yet received any official information from the US on whether to suspend or modify the arms supply. It urged the public not to speculate based on partial information.
In a statement, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that “sustained, joint pressure on the aggressors is the only way to end the war.”
Over the weekend, Ukraine suffered its largest airstrike in its history. Russia fired more than 500 drones, ballistic and cruise missiles into Ukrainian cities.
US officials did not immediately say which weapons were suspended. However, according to NBC, the delayed weapons could include Patriot missile defense systems, howitzers, rockets and grenade launchers.
The United States has provided about $100 billion in military aid since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. But some in the Trump administration are concerned that US arms stocks are dangerously low.
The Kremlin has welcomed the reduction in arms shipments, saying that a reduction in arms supplies could help end the war sooner. “If Ukraine receives fewer weapons, the end of the special military operation will be closer,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Fedor Venislavsky, an MP from Ukraine’s ruling party, described the decision as “sad, and this is a very unfortunate development given the ongoing Russian aggression against Ukraine.”
“Kiev is heavily dependent on American weapons. Even with Europe’s cooperation, our fight will be very difficult without American weapons,” a Ukrainian military official quoted by AFP news agency said.
European countries have poured billions of dollars into Ukraine’s military aid over the past three and a half years, but the political will to do so has not been unanimous.
Czech President and former chairman of the NATO Military Committee, Petr Pavel, said that while he is a strong supporter of Ukraine, he cannot guarantee continued support for Kiev, as it depends on the outcome of the upcoming Czech elections.
Anna Kelly told CBS News that the suspension of arms deliveries was due to the Pentagon’s concerns that US military reserves were being significantly depleted, although the strength of the United States armed forces had not been diminished. “If you ask Iran about this, they would understand,” she said.
In addition, the US Department of Defense is offering the president various alternative ways to continue military aid to Ukraine, and that their priority in the process is to preserve the effectiveness of US forces, Defense Department spokesman Elbridge Colby said.
The break came after a NATO summit in the Netherlands. President Donald Trump discussed air defense with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during the meeting.
Trump said of his conversation with Zelensky, “I suspect he’s a very cooperative person, even when times are tough.”
The two had a heated argument in the Oval Office in March of this year. Trump then announced that he was cutting off aid to the Biden administration. He also cut off intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Both were later reinstated.
In April, the US and Ukraine reached an agreement that would allow the US to use its mineral resources.
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time in two years on Tuesday. Their conversation lasted more than two hours. Macron called for a ceasefire in Ukraine and talks on a lasting peace settlement.
According to the Kremlin, Putin reminded Macron that the war was caused by the West’s neglect of Russia’s security needs.
Speaking at the St. Petersburg Forum last month, Putin said that Russians and Ukrainians are one people, and from that perspective, “all of Ukraine is Russia.”
Moscow currently controls about 20 percent of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
According to the latest data, Russia claims to have achieved full control over the eastern Luhansk region. It also said it has taken control of parts of the southern region of Dnipropetrovsk.
Meanwhile, three people were killed in a drone attack by Ukraine on Tuesday at a Russian arms factory in the city of Izhevsk. The factory produces drones and radar equipment. The attack took place about 1,000 kilometers from the Ukrainian border.