White House: We’re Working with Allies To Get Ukraine Needed Ammo
US military also has found a way to get tanks to Ukraine faster
The Biden administration is working with allies across the globe to ensure that Ukraine has the ammunition and other military equipment it needs heading into the second spring since Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched his full-scale invasion of his neighbor last year.
Supplies such as rockets, artillery and more will be heading to the warfront from the United States and its allies, according to White House national security spokesman John Kirby.
Further, the US military made an announcement Tuesday that it will be getting US Abrams tanks to the Ukrainians by this fall to help their fight — much earlier than first anticipated.
The Biden administration understands that Ukraine needs enough military materiel to keep up the fight, Kirby said.
“Well, we’re mindful that they are working through their inventory at a pretty fast clip here, particularly in the Donbas and this fighting over Bakhmut. We also recognize that if they’re going to be able to adequately defend themselves in the spring, let alone -- or yet again go on the offense, they’re going to need more,” he said. “That’s why you saw in the package that President Biden signed out yesterday more rocket systems, more artillery rounds, more obstacle-clearing equipment, the kinds of things that we think they’ll need in the spring in the fighting in the weeks and months ahead. So we’re mindful of their inventory concerns. We’re also marshaling ours, as well, to make sure we can preserve our national security interests.
“And we’re working with allies and partners -- and this is a key point -- for them to help backfill some of these inventory needs that the Ukrainians have,” Kirby added. “We know it’ll be a tough spring. Both sides are going to come out slugging, and we have to make sure the Ukrainians continue to punch above their weight.”
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said that 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks — announced to be going into the fight in Ukraine — will be delivered this fall. That's instead of the M1A2 Abrams variant first planned, which wouldn't have arrived in Ukraine until next year.
“Since we've made this announcement, we've been committed to exploring options to deliver the armored capability as quickly as possible,” Pentagon press secretary Air Force Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder said during a briefing Tuesday. “After further study and analysis on how best to do this, DOD, in close coordination with Ukraine, has made the decision to provide the M1A1 variant of the Abrams tank, which will enable us to significantly expedite delivery timelines, and deliver this important capability to Ukraine by the fall of this year.”
The M1A1 Abrams will have “a very similar capability” to the M1A2, Ryder said, including advanced armor and weapons systems, such as a 120 mm cannon and 50-caliber heavy machine gun.
“This is about getting this important combat capability into the hands of the Ukrainians sooner rather than later,” the spokesman said.
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