Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Saturday made a fresh pitch for more Western arms after Ukraine made territorial gains in its counteroffensive in the northeast Kharkiv region.
Kuleba said that the counteroffensive shows Ukraine can “defeat” the Russian army but that Kyiv needs more weapons for faster success.
“We have demonstrated we are capable of defeating the Russian army. We are doing that with weapons given to us,” Kuleba said at a news conference in Kyiv with visiting German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.
“And so I reiterate: the more weapons we receive, the faster we will win, and the faster this war will end,” Kuleba added.
Kuleba also took a shot at Germany for being more hesitant than other NATO countries to send Ukraine weapons over the fear of provoking Moscow. “Every day, while someone in Berlin is considering, taking advice, or consulting on whether to give tanks or not … someone dies in Ukraine, due to the fact that the tank didn’t arrive,” he said.
While in Kyiv, Baerbock said Berlin’s support for Ukraine would not wane despite the long winter Germany is facing due to soaring energy costs and less access to Russian gas. “We will stand by Ukraine for as long as necessary,” she said in a statement.
Ukraine’s offensive first started showing success this past Thursday, which coincided with a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany that was chaired by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
Austin’s message at the meeting was that the US and NATO would be supporting Ukraine for the “long haul,” a phrase he said repeatedly. He also announced $675 million in new military aid for Kyiv while Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Kyiv and announced $2.2 billion in Foreign Military Financing for Ukraine and US allies in the region.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will have a chance later this month to appeal directly to the US defense industry for more weapons. He will address virtually a conference of US arms makers on September 21 in Austin, Texas, that will be attended by representatives from Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, and other US arms makers.
What does the state department consider a mountain of dead Ukrainians and Russians?
A good start.
“Ukraine Makes Fresh Pitch to West for More Weapons After Kharkiv Gains”
Payback is a mother and her name is Russian Army. Last night Russia struck power plants in Eastern Ukraine shutting down the grid and effectively ending rail transportation.
Ukraine now cannot redeploy forces for attacks or even resupply their army. Good luck to you Voldamort Zelensky your days are numbered!
Perhaps now Joey Biden will stop molesting American taxpayers and send cash and weapons to the most evil corrupt criminal regime in Europe.
“We have demonstrated we are capable of defeating the Russian army. We are doing that with weapons given to us,”
And also, bleeding the west dry of their armaments as well.
Pfft we can make more. Once a Javelin has come to rest in a Russian tank it has served its purpose fulfilled its destiny and so long as we have one more Javelin then they have tanks it is all good.
What a surprise that Blinken, Barbiebock, Truss, Austin happened to be so close when the “surprise counteroffensive in Kharkov” took place. More money, more arms and we will push out the wicked Rooskies, no matter how many of our own brave soldiers are killed or wounded.
They just captured huge numbers of Russian tanks and artillery. Part of Poots cunning plan. I can’t see it, but then I am not cunning.