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washington [US]Jan 20 (ANI): The US on Thursday (local time) announced a massive new package worth $2.5 billion to prepare Ukraine with new weapons and ammunition as the country prepares for a new phase of its war against Russia. prepare.
According to a statement from the Pentagon, the kit does not include the main battle tanks requested by Kyiv, but includes 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers, another 59 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, the Avenger air defense system, and large and small ammunition.
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“The 59 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles contained in this package, together with the previously committed 50 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles on January 6, and 90 Stryker armored personnel carriers will provide Ukraine with two brigade’s armor capability,” it said.
An initial 50 Bradleys were included in the more than $3 billion package announced last week.
The latest package brings total U.S. military aid to Ukraine since Russia’s February 2022 invasion to more than $26.7 billion.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expected “strong decisions” on further arms supplies to the West at a meeting of key allies at the U.S. Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany on Friday, after announced the news.
“As we prepare for tomorrow’s meeting in Ramstein, we look forward to strong decisions. We look forward to strong military support from the United States,” he said.
Ahead of the talks, Berlin is under increasing pressure to approve the delivery of German-made Leopard 2 tanks that officials in Kyiv are desperate to launch an offensive against Russian forces.
Poland and Finland have offered to send the tanks to Ukraine, but need German approval for the move.
Since Britain announced last week that it would send Challenger 2 tanks, Berlin has come under increasing pressure to supply its Leopard 2 tanks, or at least clear the way for other countries, such as Poland, to deliver German-made equipment from their own stocks .
“I thank the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, who was in Kyiv today for very clearly calling for a European decision on tanks,” Zelensky said.
“Now we are waiting for a decision from a European capital to activate the prepared chain of tank cooperation,” he said, adding, “I believe that the German-led force will remain the same.”
Meanwhile, Russia has warned of an “extremely dangerous” escalation if NATO deploys heavy weapons such as main battle tanks and long-range missile systems to Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported.
The Kremlin has urged the West not to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons capable of striking Russian troops and territory.
“It could be very dangerous,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “It would mean taking the conflict to a new level, and from a global and pan-European security point of view, it would be very dangerous.” Certainly not a good sign.”
The United States will gather its allies at its air base in Ramstein, Germany, on Friday for a new round of talks on military support for Ukraine, Al Jazeera reported.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin will chair the coordination meeting. He said “we will reaffirm our mutual commitment to long-term support for Ukraine’s self-defense” — without mentioning specific new equipment.
Western partners worry that Ukraine could use long-range weapons deep into Russian territory or Crimea – a peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014 – despite Kyiv’s pledge not to do so.
Peskov’s remarks came after Moscow’s ambassador to the United States, Anatoly Antonov, said Russia would retaliate if Ukraine used Western-supplied weapons to target Russia or the Crimea peninsula. (Arnie)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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