Kyiv has warned that the suspension of US arms supplies could encourage Russia to continue the war, which is now in its fourth year, writes BBC.
The White House announced on the 2nd of July that it had suspended the supply of certain weapons to the United States. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said that the decision was made to put American interests first.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the two countries were currently “clarifying the terms of the supplies”, while Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha warned that the delay “will only encourage the aggressor to continue the war and terror, not force him to seek peace”. He particularly emphasized the need to strengthen Kyiv’s air defense systems – Russia fires missiles and drones into Ukraine almost every night.
A US diplomat in Kyiv has reportedly invited the Ukrainian foreign minister to a meeting on the 3rd of July.
However, the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said it had not received any official notification from the United States about the suspension or review of supplies, and urged not to speculate on the fragments of information. The ministry stressed in a statement that
the only way to end the war is to exert joint, sustained pressure on the aggressor.
Over the weekend, Ukraine suffered its largest air attack since the start of the war – Russia shelled neighboring cities with more than 500 ballistic missiles and drones.
US officials have not publicly commented on the specific interruptions in weapons supplies. According to US broadcaster NBC, supplies could be suspended for Patriot air defense systems, howitzer ammunition, rockets and grenade launchers. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the United States has provided Ukraine with tens of billions of dollars in military aid, and this has led the administration of US President Donald Trump to express concerns that the country’s stockpiles are starting to run low.
The Kremlin, in turn, welcomed the news, saying that the cessation of arms supplies to Ukraine would allow for a quicker end to the conflict. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the fewer weapons are supplied to Ukraine, the closer the end of the special military operation is.
Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the ruling party in Ukraine, said
the decision was very painful and, given the crimes Russia is committing against Ukraine, created a very unpleasant situation.
A source in the Ukrainian military told AFP that Kyiv was very wary of US weapons, and although Europe is doing everything it can, it will be difficult without American weapons.
European allies have also provided Ukraine with significant military support, but not all European politicians are willing to help. Czech President Petr Pavel, a former NATO general, has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine, but has indicated that further support depends on the outcome of the upcoming elections.
US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby said the Pentagon continues to offer the president options to support Ukraine, but added that the department is carefully reviewing and adapting its approach to achieve its goals without compromising the US military’s combat capabilities.
Moscow currently controls about 20% of Ukraine’s territory, including the Crimean peninsula, which it annexed in 2014.
Read also: Macron speaks with Putin; stresses support for Ukraine