US mulls sending military equipment to Ukraine amid tensions with Russia: Reports

US President Joe Biden’s administration is mulling over sending American military equipment to Ukraine that was previously allocated for Afghanistan before the Taliban reconquered the Southeast Asian country, stated Wall Street Journal report on Friday. The report said that Ukrainian officials are calling on the US government to provide the helicopters, including Russia-made Mi-17s and other military equipment that was meant for Afghan National Security Forces which are now defunct since the Taliban's takeover.

Citing both US and Ukrainian officials, the WSJ report stated that Kyiv is calling on Washington to provide air-defence systems such as Stringer surface-to-air missiles. The report has also said that the US could provide Ukraine with at least five Mi-17 helicopters that were used by the Afghan military but were undergoing some maintenance in Eastern Europe. Additionally, Kyiv is also eying the 12 Black Hawk helicopters that too, Washington had allocated for the Afghan military but was never delivered. 

Even the US and NATO’s ammunition stock which is in Romania and Bulgaria could be made available for Ukraine, revealed a US official to WSJ. It is to note that the report came especially when tensions between Russia and Ukraine have escalated with Moscow ramping up its military near the border triggering fears of invasion into Kyiv. However, the White House has been hesitant about sending more arms to Ukraine amid fears that it would further increase tensions with Russia, stated a media outlet citing US government officials and Congress members.

US and Russia over ongoing tensions 

Meanwhile, the US has expressed hope that there is still an ‘opportunity for progress’ in normalizing the ties with Moscow if talks are held with Russian President Vladimir Putin “in the appropriate format”. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at the event hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations think tank in Washington, “We have been clear as the United States - and just yesterday, the 30 nations of the NATO alliance were clear in a statement that came out of the North Atlantic Council - we're prepared for dialogue with Russia.”

Recently, Russia has also demanded stringent limits on the activities of the NATO military alliance in countries in Eastern Europe. BBC stated that Moscow’s demands are unlikely to be met. Even though Russia has dismissed reports of Moscow invading Ukraine, Kremlin wants NATO to rule out Kyiv and others to ever join the alliance to diffuse the tensions escalating in the region. Russia has reportedly also asked for urgent talks with the US.

(IMAGE: AP)