Aid package for Ukraine
Report: USA may want to deliver long-range missiles
05/27/2022, 02:21 am
According to a media report, while Germany is debating the delivery of battle tanks and armored personnel carriers, the USA is considering the delivery of long-range missile systems. The new military aid package might be announced as early as this week.
According to a media report, the US government is considering sending advanced long-range missile systems to Ukraine. The US-made weapons systems might fire missiles hundreds of kilometers away, CNN reported, citing several officials. A new military aid package might be announced as early as next week. Ukraine asked for these types of weapons, it said.
However, the US government has been hesitant because of fears that Ukraine might use the missile systems for attacks on Russian territory. The question arises whether this might lead to a Russian retaliation, according to CNN.
NATO heavy weapons deal
Only a few days ago it became known that the NATO countries had informally agreed not to deliver certain weapon systems to Ukraine. Alliance groups in Brussels confirmed to the dpa that this would keep the risk of a direct military confrontation between NATO countries and Russia as low as possible. It is feared, for example, that Russia might officially see the delivery of Western battle tanks and combat aircraft as entering the war and then take military retaliatory measures. Weapon systems of this type have not yet been delivered to Ukraine. The extent to which long-range missiles are classified as heavy weapons by NATO has not been disclosed.
US President Joe Biden put into effect a new billion-euro aid package from the US for Ukraine with a volume of almost 40 billion dollars (38 billion euros) just over the weekend. Around half of the total amount from the package goes to defense. Of this, $6 billion is earmarked for direct military aid to Ukraine. Billions more are to be used, among other things, to replenish US stockpiles of military equipment that was sent to Ukraine. The US government had previously launched several large packages of support for Ukraine.