The US is ready to increase arms supplies in Ukraine to strengthen the Navy and Air Defense. This was reported by the US special representative for Donbas Kurt Volker, reports The Guardian.
“They are losing soldiers every week defending their own country,” said Volker, a former US ambassador to Nato. “And so in that context it’s natural for Ukraine to build up its military, engage in self-defense, and it’s natural to seek assistance and is natural that other countries should help them. And of course they need lethal assistance because they’re being shot at.”
Kurt Volker added that to this day between the United States and Russia there is a "gap" in the issue of the UN peacekeeping mission for the cessation of hostilities. He also predicted that Russian President Vladimir Putin would expect presidential and parliamentary elections in Ukraine before reconsidering his negotiating position.
He added: “We can have a conversation with Ukraine like we would with any other country about what do they need. I think that there’s going to be some discussion about naval capability because as you know their navy was basically taken by Russia. And so they need to rebuild a navy and they have very limited air capability as well. I think we’ll have to look at air defence.”
We recall that on December 12, US President Donald Trump signed a defense budget for the 2018 financial year. The document provides for granting Ukraine $ 350 million in defense assistance, including authorizing the possibility of transferring lethal weapons.
