U.S. Considering 'Additional' Military Assistance To Ukraine
According to RFE/RL, KYIV, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says the United States is considering Ukraine’s request for "additional" military assistance to help deter Kremlin aggression following a massive buildup of Russian forces near their shared border and in annexed Crimea.
Kyiv has requested U.S. air defense systems and anti-sniper technology, along with a possible deployment of Patriot missiles in Ukraine.
Blinken told RFE/RL on May 6 in an interview in the Ukrainian capital, where he met with the country's top leaders, including President VolodymyrZelenskiy, that the Pentagon is "looking at what additional assistance -- beyond the very significant assistance that we've already provided, including equipment -- would be helpful to Ukraine right now. That’s a very active consideration."
The United States has provided nearly $5 billion in financial, humanitarian, and military aid -- including lethal, anti-tank weapons -- to Ukraine since 2014, when Russia forcibly annexed Crimea and backed separatists in two of its eastern provinces, sparking a war that has killed more than 13,000.
Blinken's first trip to Kyiv since being tapped by President Joe Biden earlier this year to lead the State Department comes just weeks after Russia deployed more than 100,000 troops near the border with Ukraine and in annexed Crimea in what the United States called an act of intimidation.
Russia has withdrawn some of the troops and equipment, but much still remains, posing a serious and immediate threat to Ukraine, Blinken said.
"Russia has the capacity on pretty short notice to take further aggressive action, so we're being very vigilant about that...and also making sure that we're helping Ukraine have the means to defend itself," Blinken said in the RFE/RL interview.
Ukraine has called on the United States to threaten to exclude Russian banks from the SWIFT messaging system as a way to deter Kremlin aggression.
Some analysts say exclusion from SWIFT, which facilitates secure and fast communications between financial institutions, would be a significant blow to Russia’s economy.
Blinken said the United States "will consider every reasonable option" to deter Kremlin aggression against Ukraine, but declined to comment directly on the possibility of using SWIFT.
The top U.S. diplomat reiterated the Biden administration’s message that the United States is not seeking an escalation with Russia.
