Ukraine needs long-range weapons, and it is ready to provide guarantees that the weapons of partners will not be used to shell the territory of the Russian Federation, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said, Ukrinform reports . The Minister reported on Ukraine’s need for tanks, armored vehicles, artillery and shells.
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Key facts
- Reznikov urged partners to help establish missile defenses as soon as possible and noted a desire to receive Patriot and SAMP / T at the earliest opportunity, along with the delivery of new IRIS-T and NASAMS.
- The minister spoke about Ukraine’s need for tanks and armored vehicles, as well as an increase in the number of artillery, shells and weapons capable of surpassing and destroying Russia’s electronic warfare and air defense systems, despite the sanctions.
Key Quote
- “If we had the ability to strike at a distance of 300 km, the Russian army would not be able to provide defense and would be forced to lose. Ukraine is ready to provide any guarantees that your weapons will not be involved in attacks on Russian territory. We have enough targets in the temporarily occupied territory of Ukraine and we are ready to coordinate targets with our partners,” Reznikov said.
Context
Ukraine will receive 31 American M1 Abrams tanks , as well as related equipment and machinery for their maintenance. According to Spiegel, European allies are discussing a joint transfer of a total of 80 Leopard 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine to form two battalions of 40 vehicles. Britain and Germany plan to transfer tanks to Ukraine (Challenger and Leopard, respectively) in March. Poland will send 60 tanks to Ukraine , including PT-91 Twardy, in addition to the announced delivery of 14 Leopard 2 tanks.
The United States is preparing a new $2.2 billion military aid package for Ukraine. The package will include, in particular, longer-range missiles . We are talking about GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb) missiles manufactured by Boeing and Saab Group. Their range is 150 km. GLSDB missiles can be launched from HIMARS installations. Currently, the States are delivering the first batch of Bradley combat vehicles to Ukraine .
There is already an internal debate in the West about the supply of jet fighters to Ukraine , initiated by Ukrainian officials with the support of the Baltic states. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Netherlands will consider the possibility of supplying F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine if official Kiev asks for it, Foreign Minister Wopke Gukstra said. According to him, the Cabinet will consider such a request “without prejudice.” Ukraine has received “positive signals” from Poland about its readiness to transfer F-16 fighter jets , Andriy Yermak, head of the President’s Office , said . Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that the planes could be transferred to Ukraine upon agreement with NATO countries.