U.S. President Joe Biden announced that the U.S. is sending Ukraine more advanced rocket systems to aid its defense. Ukrainian forces have long requested these weapons to improve their accuracy from a distance when striking enemy forces. However, because of concerns about using the weapons against Russian targets, the U.S. has refused the request until now.
Joe Biden, the US President, confirmed that America is shipping advanced medium-range rocket systems to embattled Ukraine, as officials in Ukraine are pushing to send them arms and equipment vital to prevent the progress of Putin-led military forces in the Eastern region. pic.twitter.com/FgkzrQTyh8
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However, Biden said on Wednesday that the lethal aid would help Kyiv achieve its diplomatic goal by strengthening its negotiating position against Russia. As a result, he wrote in the New York Times that I had decided to provide Ukrainian troops with more advanced rocket systems and munitions to enable them to strike key targets on the battlefield.
A senior White House official said that the M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) would be part of the new weaponry. Still, he did not specify how many would be provided. They are capable of launching multiple precision-guided missiles to targets up to Seventy kilometers (forty-five miles) away, a much greater range than the artillery Ukraine has at the moment. Aside from being more accurate than their Russian counterparts, they are also more reliable.
Biden Does not Seek War with Russia
Senior government officials told The Associated Press (AP) that the new weapons package would include 70-kilometer-range medium-range rockets. Additionally, Ukraine gave assurances to Russian officials that its forces would not fire missiles into Russian territory. President Biden wrote Tuesday that war with Russia is not something he seeks.
Despite my disagreement with Vladimir Putin and his actions, Biden repeated that the United States would not seek his ouster in Russia. As long as Russian forces do not attack the U.S. or its allies, the United States will not become directly involved in this conflict by sending American troops to Ukraine or attacking the Russian forces. It is not the U.S. intention to encourage or enable Ukraine to strike beyond its borders.
Source: Web
Two-thirds of Russian oil imports will be banned next week as part of a compromise deal between European Union leaders to increase pressure on Russia while also considering the economic effects on some E.U. countries that rely more heavily on Russian oil. As a result of the ban, sea exported Russian oil is cut off, but pipeline-imported oil is exempt.
On Tuesday, Russia responded to the embargo by slashing natural gas supplies to Europe, with Gazprom saying it wouldn’t supply several “unfriendly” nations that wouldn’t pay in Russian rubles. The Ukrainian government has long called for sanctions to be imposed on Russian oil imports so Russia cannot use them to fuel its war effort. In a Monday morning speech to the European Union, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reiterated his appeal.
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