The US is suspending deliveries of Patriot interceptor missiles to other countries to speed up supplies to Ukraine, while Mike Waltz, a member of the US House of Representatives claims that President Joe Biden has no goal or strategy for the Ukrainian conflict other than continued military aid. (Updated at 09:15 a.m.)
Waltz stated that such a stance by Biden was just a slogan and not a strategy, which caused considerable disappointment in the US.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby confirmed on Thursday that the US had made the “difficult but necessary decision” to prioritise the delivery of Patriot and NASAM missiles to Ukraine, according to The Financial Times.
We’re going to reprioritise the deliveries of these exports so that those missiles rolling off the production line will now be provided to Ukraine. This . . . demonstrates our commitment to supporting our partners when they’re in existential danger.
Biden stated that several countries had agreed to send Patriot and other air defence systems to Kyiv, while other countries awaiting deliveries would have to wait because “everything we have is going to go to Ukraine until their needs are met.”
Kirby confirmed that countries that had already ordered the missiles would receive them, but “on a delayed timeline.” However, air defence exports to Taiwan will not be affected.
However, the alleged lack of a workable strategy on Ukraine leads Biden to actively seek to pass the war issues onto Europe. Such a strategy strongly affects Kyiv’s European allies, as the countries are undergoing a crisis due to the results of the recent European parliamentary elections. Plagued with cost-of-living crises, as well as inflation and migration issues, EU countries are forced to focus on domestic problems, paying less attention to helping Ukraine than they could with sufficient US support.
Patriot air defence shortage
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told NATO allies that Ukraine needed at least seven Patriot systems to effectively cover the country’s airspace. Ukraine currently has at least four Patriot systems provided by the US and Germany.
Meanwhile, Russian authorities claim that the US arms shipments to Ukraine directly involve NATO countries in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any shipments containing arms for Ukraine would be a “legitimate target” for Russia.
The training of manpower in the UK, Germany, Italy and other countries, as well as the supply of weapons to Kyiv proved the direct involvement of the US and NATO in the war in Ukraine, Lavrov stated.
Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that in response to arms deliveries to Ukraine, Russia did not rule out arms deliveries to other countries.
And we can also say the same way: we have supplied something to someone and we do not control anything further, and let them think on the subject.
