The United States and its allies pledged more rocket systems, ammunition, and other military help to Ukraine on Wednesday, as American defense officials suggested the struggle to halt Russian gains in the eastern Donbas region will continue for some time.
After a virtual discussion with over 50 military officials from across the world, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated that it would be essential
US To Send More Weapons to Ukraine
Officials have been cautious to speculate on how long the conflict would run, but Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has hinted that it might be a long haul. According to officials, the United States will deliver to Ukraine four more High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) and precision-guided rockets, as well as extra artillery shells. Later this week, a more comprehensive statement is planned.
The assistance comes as Russian forces attempt to consolidate their victories in the two provinces of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, Donetsk and Luhansk, while also expanding their operations into neighboring areas.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state-controlled RT television and the RIA Novosti news agency that Russia's "special military operation" had stretched beyond the Donbas to the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia areas, as well as another occupied territory. Austin stated that Lavrov's remarks come an as little surprise to friends who have long suspected Russia of having broader goals in seizing Ukraine, according to Independent.
Since the start of the war, the US has contributed $8 billion in security aid, including $2.2 billion in the previous month. On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov stated that Moscow's military "tasks" in Ukraine had grown beyond the eastern Donbas area, in the strongest admission that the country's war objectives had broadened. Austin stated that Lavrov's remarks looked to be directed toward the Russian people.
According to Air Force Chief of Staff General Charles "CQ" Brown, the US and its allies are beginning to look at prospective training for Ukrainian pilots as part of a program to help establish a future Ukrainian air force. Milley said a variety of alternatives for assisting Ukrainian forces were being considered, including pilot training, but no decision had been taken, Straits Times reported.
Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska Pleads for More US Military Aid
Meanwhile, Ukraine's First Lady, Olena Zelenska, addressed Congress on Wednesday in an impassioned appeal as Russia continues its murderous assault on Ukraine. Zelenska emphasized the crimes done by Russian soldiers against people, notably Ukrainian children.
In an extraordinary turn of events, Ukraine's first lady issued a call for armaments and defensive weapons to better counter Russia's ongoing attack. The Ukrainian first lady's request comes as Russia has intensified its missile attacks across the nation and is once again focusing on locations around Kyiv, the country's capital.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov declared on Wednesday that Moscow's war ambitions have gone beyond complete control of the Donbas areas and that Russia has enlarged the geographical targets of its special military operation. According to Russian media agencies, Lavrov stated that the Kremlin's ambitions to denazify and demilitarize regions in Ukraine have expanded to Kherson, Zaporizhia, and a "number of other provinces."
Despite the foreign minister's words implying that this is a fresh approach for Moscow, Russian soldiers have taken these regions and been engaged in a harsh campaign there for months. As Western partners continue to supply defensive supplies to Kyiv, Lavrov implied that Russia's interests in Ukraine have shifted, as per Fox News.
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