Defense Minister Resnikov criticized that if Moscow went on the offensive on the anniversary of the Russian invasion on February 24, not all Western weapons would have arrived in Ukraine. He wants to dispel concerns about the use of the new war machine.
Ukraine says it will not use new longer-range weapons from the West for attacks in Russia. “We always tell our partners that we undertake not to use foreign partners’ weapons against Russian territory, but only against their units in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine,” Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov said at a press conference.
The United States promised Ukraine more billions in military aid, including precision missiles with a much longer range than before. The new armaments package, worth almost $2.2 billion (around €2 billion), also includes so-called GLSDB (Ground Launched Small Diameter Bomb) missiles with a range of 150 kilometers, a Pentagon spokesman said.
That is almost twice the range of missiles that Ukraine has so far. This would allow Kyiv to attack Russian targets far behind the lines of the front lines.
Reznikov reiterated that Kyiv expects a possible Russian offensive this month. February 24 marks the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “Not all Western weapons” would arrive in Ukraine by the time of a possible Russian offensive, Resnikov said. But Kyiv has the resources to respond to such an action, he said: “We are ready to strike back.”
The defense minister also addressed the reluctance of Western allies to supply fighter jets. “I am sure that we will win this war, I am sure that we will liberate all occupied territories,” Reznikov said. But without the fighter jets, “it’s going to cost us more lives.” Ukraine has been urging its supporters to supply fighter jets for some time. France and the Netherlands have not ruled that out. However, the USA and Germany are currently opposed to this demand.
