The US to supply Ukraine with more advanced rocket systems
New Delhi: The United States will provide Ukraine with more advanced rocket systems and munitions, US President Joe Biden said in an interview with the US media.
“We have moved quickly to send Ukraine a significant amount of weaponry and ammunition so it can fight on the battlefield and be in the strongest possible position at the negotiating table,” Biden said.
“That’s why I have decided that we will provide the Ukrainians with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable them to more precisely strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine,” he continued.
The US goal in the Ukrainian conflict is to make Ukraine a democratic and independent country that can defend itself, US President Joe Biden said.
In his words, “the free world and many other nations, led by the United States, rallied to Ukraine’s side with unprecedented military, humanitarian and financial support.”
“As the war goes on, I want to be clear about the aims of the United States in these efforts. America’s goal is straightforward: We want to see a democratic, independent, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and defend itself against further aggression,” Biden wrote.
The United States is not seeking a war with Russia and will not interfere in the conflict in Ukraine directly unless NATO forces are under attack, Biden said.
“We do not seek a war between NATO and Russia,” he wrote. “So long as the United States or our allies are not attacked, we will not be directly engaged in this conflict, either by sending American troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces.”
The United States sees no indications that Russia is planning to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, Biden said.
“I know many people around the world are concerned about the use of nuclear weapons. We currently see no indication that Russia has an intent to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, though Russia’s occasional rhetoric to rattle the nuclear saber is itself dangerous and extremely irresponsible,” he wrote.
“Let me be clear: Any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict on any scale would be completely unacceptable to us as well as the rest of the world and would entail severe consequences,” Biden added.
The United States will keep supplying Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including Javelin anti-tank missile systems and Stinger man-portable air defense systems, Biden said.
“We will continue providing Ukraine with advanced weaponry, including Javelin anti-tank missiles, Stinger antiaircraft missiles, powerful artillery, precision rocket systems, radars, unmanned aerial vehicles, Mi-17 helicopters, and ammunition,” Biden wrote.
The United States is not calling upon Ukraine to strike targets beyond its borders and is not enabling Kyiv to do so, Biden said.
“We are not encouraging or enabling Ukraine to strike beyond its borders,” he said, adding that Washington does not want to prolong the conflict “just to inflict pain on Russia.”
The United States will not put pressure on Ukraine to make concessions to Russia, Biden said.
“I will not pressure the Ukrainian government — in private or public — to make any territorial concessions. It would be wrong and contrary to well-settled principles to do so,” Biden said, adding that he will not make decisions on Ukraine without the Kyiv government’s knowledge.
He blamed the Russian side for the suspension of negotiations between Kyiv and Moscow. In his words, the United States “will continue to work to strengthen Ukraine and support its efforts to achieve a negotiated end to the conflict.”
“Standing by Ukraine in its hour of need is not just the right thing to do. It is in our vital national interests to ensure a peaceful and stable Europe and to make it clear that might does not make right,” Biden said.
The US president claimed that Russia must “pay a heavy price for its actions,” otherwise “it could mark the end of the rules-based international order.”
“Americans will stay the course with the Ukrainian people because we understand that freedom is not free,” he said.
(Vinayak)
