https://sputnikglobe.com/20230301/kiev-urged-to-start-its-own-defense-spending-planning-as-costs-of-arms-shipments-to-ukraine-soar-1107903248.html
Kiev Urged to 'Start Its Own Defense Spending Planning' as Costs of Arms Shipments to Ukraine Soar
Kiev Urged to 'Start Its Own Defense Spending Planning' as Costs of Arms Shipments to Ukraine Soar
Sputnik International
The Kiev authorities have been urged to foot the bill for part of the western arms shipments by a top Pentagon official.
2023-03-01T13:48+0000
2023-03-01T13:48+0000
2023-03-01T13:48+0000
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The Kiev regime should begin to cover at least part of the cost of arms shipments it receives, instead of totally relying on an endless supply of free weapons from the West, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander said.Ukraine's authorities “haven’t done any big figure procurement from American companies,” Wallander told Congress, adding:Her words came in response to a grilling from lawmakers on February 28 amid concerns about the increasingly steep price tag of continuing to fan the flames of the Ukraine conflict by sending weapons shipments. The US should initiate foreign military sales to Ukraine, Rep. Michael Garcia (R-Calif.) said at a House Appropriations Committee hearing, adding that it “would go a long way with American taxpayers.”As to the American M1 Abrams tanks promised earlier to Ukraine, the US Army currently does not have any tanks "that could be transferred or sent to Ukraine,” Wallander was quoted as saying. The Pentagon official noted that funds previously allocated towards helping Ukraine are "sufficient for current plans." The delivery of US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine may take up to a year or even more, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said on February 23.US President Joe Biden has vowed to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” despite rapidly depleting stockpiles, with Washington committing more than $31.7 billion in security assistance to support Kiev authorities. Earlier in the year, Germany finally gave in to Washington's pressure and committed to sending 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Kiev, after the United States said it would send Ukraine 31 Abrams tanks and eight M88 recovery vehicles. Poland said it could send 14 Leopard 2 tanks, with Kiev's other allies also promising to do their bit.However, the warmongering stance on the part of the Biden administration has been opposed by some politicians within the US Republican Party. In February, a group of GOP lawmakers put forward the Ukraine Fatigue Resolution, urging Washington to “end its military and financial aid to Ukraine” and calling on “all combatants to reach a peace agreement.” Russia has repeatedly warned that all arms shipments to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict, and may fall into the hands of terrorists or end up on the black market. In April 2022, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev after Russia started its military operation in Ukraine. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230223/delivery-of-us-abrams-tanks-to-ukraine-may-take-up-to-1-year-or-more---army-secretary-1107750806.html
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230127/four-reasons-leopard-2s--m1-abrams-will-bite-the-dust-in-ukraine-1106772754.html
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Kiev Urged to 'Start Its Own Defense Spending Planning' as Costs of Arms Shipments to Ukraine Soar
After initial reluctance, Germany caved to US pressure and confirmed in January that it would send its Leopard 2 main battle tanks (MBTs) to Ukraine, on the condition of Washington pledging to deliver 31 M1 Abrams tanks to the Kiev regime. Russia has warned that Western tanks will be destroyed just like other foreign weaponry funneled to Ukraine.
The Kiev regime should begin to cover at least part of the cost of
arms shipments it receives, instead of totally relying on an endless supply of free weapons from the West, US Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs Celeste Wallander said.
Ukraine's authorities “haven’t done any big figure procurement from American companies,” Wallander told Congress, adding:
“They don’t have that scale of capability in their budget right now… but it’s a very good point that we also need to transition them to start their own defense spending planning as well as everything else we will do to support them.”
Her words came in response to a grilling from lawmakers on February 28 amid concerns about the increasingly steep price tag of continuing
to fan the flames of the Ukraine conflict by sending weapons shipments.
The US should initiate foreign military sales to Ukraine, Rep. Michael Garcia (R-Calif.) said at a House Appropriations Committee hearing, adding that it “would go a long way with American taxpayers.”
As to the American
M1 Abrams tanks promised earlier to Ukraine, the US Army currently does not have any tanks "
that could be transferred or sent to Ukraine,” Wallander was quoted as saying. The Pentagon official noted that funds previously allocated towards helping Ukraine are "
sufficient for current plans."
23 February 2023, 19:57 GMT
The delivery of US-made Abrams tanks to Ukraine may take up to a year or even more, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said on February 23.
"It’s not going to be a matter of weeks; I will say that. None of the options that we’re exploring are weeks or two months. There are longer timelines involved. But I think there are options that are less than two years, less than a year and a half," Wormuth said during a Defense Writers Group event. Wormuth added that it remained unclear whether the tanks will be delivered by the end of the year.
US President Joe Biden has vowed to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes,” despite rapidly depleting stockpiles, with Washington committing more than $31.7 billion in security assistance to support Kiev authorities. Earlier in the year, Germany finally gave in to Washington's pressure and committed to sending 14 Leopard 2A6 tanks to Kiev, after the United States said it would send Ukraine 31 Abrams tanks and eight M88 recovery vehicles. Poland said it could send 14 Leopard 2 tanks, with Kiev's other allies also promising to do their bit.
However, the warmongering stance on the part of the Biden administration has been opposed by some politicians within the US Republican Party. In February, a group of GOP lawmakers put forward the Ukraine Fatigue Resolution, urging Washington to “end its military and financial aid to Ukraine” and calling on “all combatants to reach a peace agreement.”
"President Joe Biden must have forgotten his prediction from March 2022 suggesting that arming Ukraine with military equipment will escalate the conflict to ‘World War III.’ America is in a state of managed decline, and it will exacerbate if we continue to hemorrhage taxpayer dollars toward a foreign war," Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said in an official statement as he introduced the resolution.
Russia has repeatedly warned that all arms shipments to Ukraine will only prolong the conflict, and may fall into the hands of terrorists or end up on the black market. In April 2022, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Kiev after Russia started its military operation in Ukraine. Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.
27 January 2023, 18:00 GMT
