Officials: US agrees to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine

Officials: US agrees to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has approved a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, U.S. officials said Friday, aiming to fortify the former Soviet republic’s military as it fights separatists backed by Russia.

The new arms include American-made Javelin anti-tank missiles that Ukraine has long sought to boost its defenses against tanks that have rolled through eastern Ukraine during violence that has killed more than 10,000 since 2014. Previously, the U.S. has provided Ukraine with support equipment and training, and has let private companies sell some small arms like rifles.

The officials describing the plan weren’t authorized to discuss it publicly and demanded anonymity.

The move is likely to escalate tensions between the United States and Russia, as President Donald Trump contends with ongoing questions about whether he’s too hesitant to confront the Kremlin. Ukraine accuses Russia of sending the tanks, and the U.S. says Moscow is arming, training and fighting alongside the separatists.

Click link for article..

All I can say is its about time.

This should have happened a long time ago when Russia first invaded / occupied Ukraine territory.

a reply to: Xcathdra

This should have happened a long time ago when Russia first invaded / occupied Ukraine territory.

When will you stop with this crap. There was no invasion.

Russia had / has a very big military base there so no invasion happened.

So you are happy that the government overthrow by the CIA was successful and now they BUY more and more arms.

How many countries is it now? You are blinded by your government.

P

If they are paying for the weapons then I am fine with it.

US is number 1 in arms dealing.

originally posted by: pheonix358
a reply to: Xcathdra

This should have happened a long time ago when Russia first invaded / occupied Ukraine territory.

When will you stop with this crap. There was no invasion.

Russia had / has a very big military base there so no invasion happened.

So you are happy that the government overthrow by the CIA was successful and now they BUY more and more arms.

How many countries is it now? You are blinded by your government.

P

have u ever talked to a ukrainian? they have been persecuted by the russians for a very long time and have suffered many atrocities. i have a guy i hire occasionally when i need help and the stories he tells of what its been like there for decades is terrifying.

Woah, I'm starting to like Trump more and more with moves like these. He may have some grievous flaws but it's the end result that matters.

a reply to: pheonix358

The US has bases in Germany. So according to you it's OK to send US tanks and soldiers to occupy German cities and attack German troops? Or maybe Latvia, I bet Russia would be happy with that.

a reply to: Xcathdra
CHACHING! Did we sell them any OshKosh trucks?? That should boost share prices a bit. Everybody knows American heavy weapons are the best!

Providing lethal weapons? You mean as opposed to the NON-lethal kind? Isn't lethality kinda the point?

a reply to: MteWamp

I think it comes from some legal definition, not sure. US companies have already been exporting equipment and small arms, which also kill, as you say. But I guess they're thought to be less lethal than anti-tank weapons.

Would this count as a proxy war with russia?

a reply to: pheonix358

When a foreign country, say Russia, sends in its military nits into a sovereign nation without their consent and proceeds to seize territory it is in fact an invasion.

When those troops remove their insignias and seize territory it is in fact an invasion.
When those troops remove their insignias and seize territory BEFORE any elections (illegal btw) it is an invasion.

If you wont take my word for it then how about Putins?

RT News - Putin acknowledges Russian military serviceman were in Crimea

Russian President Vladimir Putin has acknowledged that Russian troops were present in Crimea before the referendum and argued that was necessary to let Crimeans make the choice on the future of the region.

The armed men in military uniform without insignia, dubbed “the little green men” or “the polite people,” who were present in Crimea before and during the referendum there, were Russian troops, Vladimir Putin acknowledged speaking at a Q&A session with on Thursday. The president said he never concealed the fact from his foreign counterparts, and explained to them that it was the only way to ensure the referendum on the region’s status would be carried out peacefully.

“Crimean self-defense forces were of course backed by Russian servicemen,” Putin said. “They acted very appropriately, but as I’ve already said decisively and professionally.”

Putin had to touch upon the Crimea topic multiple times throughout his Q&A session. He emphasized that Russia did not acquire Crimea by force, but created, with the help of its special forces, conditions for Crimeans to decide upon their own future.

"It was impossible in any other way to ensure the open, honest and decent way for people to express their opinion," the president said.

He explained that measures taken by Russia in Crimea prevented the situation there from developing the way it does now in the south and east of Ukraine.

We had to do it, the president said, so that “there would be no tanks, no nationalist military units and heavily armed people with radical views.”

Putin said 20,000 Ukrainian troops were in the peninsular at the time of the referendum. Besides there were large stockpiles of weapons, including 38 S-300 anti-aircraft missile systems.

“We had to protect people from even the slightest possibility of weapons being used against civilians,” the president said.

Putin said that Russia never planned any military actions in Crimea.

“Nothing was prepared in advance. Everything was done on the spur of the moment, so to speak, in accordance with the developing situation and with what the moment demanded. But everything was carried out really in a highly professional way.”

At the beginning of his televised call-in with the nation Putin dismissed as “nonsense” allegations that there were Russian troops in the turbulent east of Ukraine.

"All the people that are in the eastern Ukraine are local residents,” Putin said. “And the main proof is that they've taken their masks off - literally. It's their home, and they have nowhere to leave to".

So when will you guys fix your rectal-cranial inversion and face facts that Putin himself confirmed Russia invaded Ukraine.

I would think that if the US 92nd and 101st airborne units "go on vacation" to russia with their equipment but remove their insignias russian would consider it an invasion and not a rebellion. You know, what Russia did in Ukraine... and Georgia.. and Moldova...


But by all means please explain to me how Russia has not invaded Ukraine.

originally posted by: MteWamp
Providing lethal weapons? You mean as opposed to the NON-lethal kind? Isn't lethality kinda the point?

The concept is offensive verse defensive weaponry.

The US only provides weaponry that fits the self defense category. Radios, uniforms, radars, counter battery radars etc etc.

They are now saying the Javelin anti tank missile is defensive since they cant really use it to invade Russia but it can be used to prevent Russia from advancing further into Ukraine. At the very least increase the cost for Russia to continue into Ukraine in terms of manpower and equipment.

Russia's problem now is they cant realistically steam roll the Ukraine army in the 2 occupied regions (not counting Crimea) anymore without a more overt action directly from Russian forces from several places along the Ukraine border. Ukraine military is up around 200k + and they have been receiving training from western nations. They have something like 80k troops deployed along the front line and the longer it drags out the worse time Russia is going to have unless they become directly and overtly involved.

originally posted by: XcathdraThe US only provides weaponry that fits the self defense category. Radios, uniforms, radars, counter battery radars etc etc.

You can add 'American educated politicians' to that list

Yeah. Sell those weapons baby. Pour more fuel on the Ukrainian civil war we provoked by supporting a coup. Gotta get more Western and Eastern ukranians into those bodybags and pile them good and high!

originally posted by: justwokeup
Yeah. Sell those weapons baby. Pour more fuel on the Ukrainian civil war we provoked by supporting a coup. Gotta get more Western and Eastern ukranians into those bodybags and pile them good and high!

It is not a civil war.

wait

I thought according to Trump supporters Russian isnt bad at all, and Putin is all good, no harm no foul?

Are we on the precipice of flip flopping again? Because its getting really hard to keep up with between the left and the right while the rest of us who still have common sense watch in slack jawed AWE over the seesaw Bullsnip that keeps taking place.

originally posted by: scraedtosleep
Would this count as a proxy war with russia?

No its a land grab by Russia, always has been.

originally posted by: Xcathdra

originally posted by: justwokeup
Yeah. Sell those weapons baby. Pour more fuel on the Ukrainian civil war we provoked by supporting a coup. Gotta get more Western and Eastern ukranians into those bodybags and pile them good and high!

It is not a civil war.

No, that's exactly what it is. Ukraine was a country historically always stressed along lines of ethnicity, geography and with a bad history. We applied the pressure that finally broke it.

One side of it is supported by Russia the other supported by 'the west'.

It's a # show with no good guys and no good ending.

originally posted by: MteWamp
Providing lethal weapons? You mean as opposed to the NON-lethal kind? Isn't lethality kinda the point?

I was thinking a truck full of hammers, but then I guess I was wrong.

a reply to: Xcathdra

that sounds very familiar... minus the Russia part

But but but..... isn't Trump working for the Russian' s????