The government in Kiev has been asking for sharper weapons for its troops for some time.
(Photo: AP)
Washington In the wake of the unrest in the Kremlin in the wake of the Wagner uprising, the US government is considering supplying Ukraine with more powerful weapons. Any sort of riot or coup d’état in Russia — the nation with the world’s largest nuclear arsenal — is a cause for concern, a senior government official said. “This instability is dangerous, no matter how it ends.”
Therefore, the focus is now increasingly on what resources the USA could provide to end the war more quickly. There seems to be movement on the question of whether the US would even supply highly controversial cluster bombs to Ukraine. So far, US President Joe Biden has not committed himself to this.
Kiev has been demanding the delivery of so-called Dual-Purpose Conventional Improved Munitions (DPICM) for some time. Banned in more than 120 countries, these cluster munitions release large numbers of smaller “bomblets” that can kill people indiscriminately over a large area.
“Our military analysts have confirmed that DPICMs would be particularly useful against stubborn Russian positions on the battlefield,” Pentagon Secretary of State Laura Cooper told a US Congressional hearing on Friday. However, Cooper added that there were concerns about the “unity of Western allies” should the US press ahead. The EU rejects the use of cluster bombs.
Democratic MP and defense politician Adam Smith said: “If our cluster munitions could end the war sooner, I’m open to it.” But he also expressed concern that the use could “have a negative impact on the Western coalition”. “We know that the Europeans are against cluster munitions.”
Republican and chief foreign policy officer in the House of Representatives, Michael McCaul, accused the Biden government of failure. Cluster bombs would be an efficient option and, most importantly, would not further deplete the US’ existing stockpiles of weapons. Biden recently had to tap US arms depots for the 40th time to cushion the wear and tear in Ukraine. “If Ukraine is unable to make significant progress, the Biden administration’s continued delay in critical weapons systems will be to blame,” McCaul said.
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The debate over cluster bombs is a potential point of contention between Washington and Berlin. On Wednesday, Federal Defense Minister Boris Pistorius (SPD) will visit the US capital and meet, among others, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
The NATO defense ministers are currently working on plans to secure Ukraine’s weapons needs in the long term without endangering its own stocks. The burden on the armaments industry should also be an issue at the NATO summit in Vilnius on July 10th and 11th. Germany had confirmed this week that it wanted to send 4,000 soldiers permanently to Lithuania to strengthen NATO’s eastern flank.
Sections of the US Congress are also pushing Biden to supply Ukraine with controversial long-range ammunition. The use of these weapons came up again during a phone call between Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday.
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But so far Washington has not even given the green light for the so-called ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile System). At 350 kilometers, the tactical missiles reach almost four times as far as Ukraine’s existing missiles. However, the range of the systems is below the threshold for a medium-range missile.
Biden’s government is pursuing a so-called “containment strategy”: It wants to limit the war to Ukraine and not bring about a direct military conflict between Russia and the West. Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, warned a few months ago that supplying long-range munitions could result in a third world war. Zelensky, on the other hand, made it clear that he considers these US weapons to be absolutely necessary in order to be able to push back Russia on the battlefield.
“ATACMS are critical to the success of the Ukrainian counteroffensive,” Republican McCaul said. He is part of a bipartisan group of MPs calling for the missiles to be used.
Despite criticism, the US President is behind the Ukraine aid.
(Photo: Reuters)
In late summer, the US Congress may have to decide on further military aid to Ukraine. The Biden government fears that if Ukraine’s ongoing counter-offensive is not very successful, political support for Ukraine aid could collapse.
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Some US Republicans are threatening to block financial support. “I don’t think we should give Ukraine another dollar at this point,” Republican Senator Josh Hawley told Handelsblatt.
Britain was the first country to agree to provide long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, followed by a commitment from France. Ukraine has also asked Germany for Taurus cruise missiles that have a range of 500 kilometers, which the federal government refuses.
More: ‘Dangerous for Europe’ – EU concerned about instability in Russia.