John Kirby, National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, at the daily press briefing at the White House on January 25, 2023 in Washington, US. , Photo Credit: Reuters
The White House has said the Joe Biden administration aims to give Ukraine the capabilities it needs to succeed on the battlefield against Russian troops, after Washington and Berlin announced the sending of advanced battle tanks to Kyiv.
President Joe Biden has announced that the US will send 31 state-of-the-art Abrams battle tanks to Ukraine to help its troops push back Russian forces, which have been entrenched in the country’s east for nearly a year since Moscow invaded . After this came the decision of America Germany agreed to send 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Ukraine,
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“It is our goal – and a goal shared by our allies and partners – to provide Ukraine with the capabilities they need to succeed on the battlefield today, but, in the future, moving forward this year, Seriously,” National Security Council coordinator of strategic communications John Kirby told reporters during his daily news conference on Jan.
Mr Kirby said the Germans would help organize two other battalions, the British had agreed to send their Challenger tanks, while the French would also contribute with armored vehicles.
“It is absolutely correct, along with months of ongoing discussions with the Ukrainians about making sure that they can fight on the territory they are in and that they can prepare for operations going forward this year, said Mr. Kirby.
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Both the Leopard 2 and the Abrams are state-of-the-art tanks and are considered superior to Soviet-era tanks fielded by the Russian Army.
Earlier, Mr. Biden said that the delivery of these tanks would “take time” which Washington would use to ensure that “the Ukrainians are fully prepared to integrate these tanks into their defenses.” The Hill reports that Ukraine will also push for F-16 fighters from the US.
Mr Kirby acknowledged that while fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces has slowed during the winter, he expects the pace to pick up once the weather improves. “We have to be prepared for this. I know Ukrainians feel they have to be prepared for this.
“So, it’s about helping Ukraine defend itself, but at the same time, it’s also about helping Ukraine go on the offensive when the weather conditions and operational conditions permit,” Mr Kirby said. Told.
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In a separate news conference, State Department spokesman Ned Price said the US not only wanted to equip Ukraine with deterrence capabilities if Russia once again made the disastrous decision to cross international borders to attack Ukraine in the future but also wants to equip it with defensive capabilities. Responding to a question, Mr Price said Moscow had already failed itself strategically.
“We have seen this strategic failure from the earliest days of this war, when President Vladimir Putin sent his forces into Ukraine under the mistaken belief that Kyiv would fall, the country would be his, much more than territorial conquests that he would ‘win Ukraine’. Will be in a position to wipe out, wipe out its identity, wipe out its people, subjugate the country.