“Within days”
Ukraine could quickly receive US weapons
April 21, 2024, 6:57 p.m
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Ukrainian President Zelensky hopes that the arms shipments approved by the US House of Representatives will reach his country as quickly as possible. In fact, according to a US senator, it could soon be the case. The Pentagon points to its extensive logistics network.
The chairman of the Intelligence Committee in the US Senate has given Ukraine hope for a rapid delivery of long-range ATACMS missile systems. Democratic committee chairman Mark Warner told US broadcaster CBS that he hoped that once US President Joe Biden had signed the law, arms deliveries would be on the way by the end of the week.
“I believe that the government has been preparing in recent months to provide ATACMS (…),” said Warner when asked whether longer-range weapon systems would also be delivered and not just ammunition. He is counting on them being literally sent off with the signature.
The Pentagon said it could move weapons to Ukraine within days once the law is passed. That’s because it has a network of storage facilities in the United States and Europe that already store the ammunition and air defense components that Kiev desperately needs. The Pentagon has “a very robust logistics network that allows us to move materials very quickly,” Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters last week. The transfer could happen “within days”.
Zelenskyj sees great opportunity in US aid
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing for rapid arms deliveries to his country, which is being attacked by Russia. “We now have the chance to stabilize the situation and take the initiative,” Zelenskyy told the US broadcaster NBC, according to the translation. Now it’s about ensuring that the weapons are actually delivered quickly. “If we get it, (…) then we have the chance to take the initiative and move forward to protect Ukraine.” When asked, the Ukrainian president did not want to give a timetable.
On Saturday, the US House of Representatives approved with a bipartisan majority an aid package worth 61 billion US dollars (57 billion euros), which includes urgently needed arms deliveries for defense against Russia. The necessary approval from the Senate is considered certain – it is expected in the middle of the week. Biden then has to sign the law.