Pentagon Wants to Give Ukraine More Weapons, Trying to Figure Out How

The US is also reportedly considering training Ukrainian troops remotely

The Pentagon said Friday that the US wants to give more weapons to Ukraine as it is fighting Russia and is considering ways to deliver what it calls “lethal assistance.”

“We’re continuing to look for ways to support Ukraine to defend themselves,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said. “And we’re very actively engaged in those efforts to help them better defend themselves through both lethal and non-lethal assistance.”

US military aid to Ukraine used to arrive by plane, but the country’s airspace is no longer safe. “The airspace over Ukraine is contested, the Russians don’t have superiority of it, it’s contested,” Kirby said. “We are going to provide additional security assistance for Ukraine, we will. How that is going to be done is still being worked out.”

On Thursday, Ukrainian Defense Minister Alexey Reznikov issued a direct plea to Congress asking for the US to send Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles. He suggested the arms could be shipped to Poland, from where Ukraine could transport them over the border.

The US is also reportedly considering ways to train Ukrainian soldiers. According to a report from Axios, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin told House lawmakers that the US is looking at ways to train Ukrainian soldiers remotely if Russia seizes Ukraine.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.