US 'trying to accelerate' new military aid for Ukraine to assist forces defend themselves

The United States is trying to ramp up the deliveries of the USD 200 million worth of security assistance approved for Ukraine in December 2021, said Defence Department or Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby. During a press briefing on Thursday, the US official said that Washington is just at the beginning of a “whole new package” and while there have been three shipments to Ukraine, “there are more that will be coming”. Kirby’s remarks came at a time when tensions between Russia and Ukraine have ramped up with the West raising fears of Moscow’s invasion into the neighbouring former Soviet Union member.

Pentagon spokesperson said that one of the responsibilities of the US is “to helping through security assistance, helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces better defend themselves. We are just at the beginning of a whole new package of assistance material. As I said, there's been three shipments, there are more that will be coming.”

“We're trying to see if we can accelerate them. We're not going to detail what is in each and every shipment. But there will be both defensive and offensive capabilities inside those shipments,” he added.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday stated that the US stands with Ukraine and Russia should take the path of de-escalation. Blinken's remarks came as the US delivered “defensive security assistance” to Kyiv on 26 January to elevate Ukraine’s defences near border areas in the face of Russian aggression.

Even US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the deliveries already approved by US President Joe Biden last month would continue to reach Ukraine “in coming days and coming weeks”. When questioned about the US military aid announced for Ukraine amid tensions with Russia, Price responded by saying, “I believe, of that – of the deliveries associated with the 200 million that was approved last month in December by President Biden, those deliveries will continue in the coming days and coming weeks.”

US airborne divisions on high alert: Pentagon

Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby on Thursday said that several American army’s airborne divisions are among the military units placed on high alert for possible deployment to Eastern Europe if the situation in Ukraine escalates. During a press briefing, Kirby said that US defence Secretary Llyod Austin “did place a range of units in the United States on a heightened preparedness to deploy. I can say that today that these units include elements of the 82nd Airborne Division based at Fort Bragg. Which regularly I think you all know maintains high readiness, as well as elements of the 18th Airborne Corps, also based at Fort Bragg and some elements from Fort Campbell, Kentucky.”

“I want to just underscore one other note. And that is, as I said many times earlier this week, these forces are on a heightened preparedness to deploy. They have not been activated,” he also said.

(Image: AP)