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The disaster of war
Ukraine
HEAVY WEAPONS
Early successes of Selenskyj

By Karin Silvina Hiebaum
International Correspondent

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj can boast first successes in his weeks-long struggle with the West for faster and wider delivery of heavy weapons. The United States now has a much more offensive position. On Sunday, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken and Defense Minister Lloyd Austin are expected to arrive in Kiev. Here, too, the focus will be on new arms deliveries, and increased pressure, especially on Germany.

Selenskyj's announcement of the high-level U.S. visit during a press conference held at a Kiev subway station came as a surprise. "I don't think it's a big secret. Tomorrow I will have a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary (Lloyd Austin) and Secretary of State (Antony) Blinken," Selenskyj told a press conference at a Kiev metro station on Saturday.

He said he hoped U.S. President Joe Biden would also come to Kiev "as soon as the security situation allows." He would talk to Austin and Blinken about the "list of weapons needed and the speed of their delivery." In the last week, news of arms deliveries has improved, stressed Selenskyj, who has been tirelessly hammering Western states verbally for weeks, demanding much larger arms deliveries, and especially of heavy weapons systems.

American tanks being transported through Germany.
DEBATE
Europe is arming itself: building peace with more weapons?
Hopes for U.S. pressure on Berlin.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj says he expects the government in Washington to talk to Germany about arms supplies to his country. SPD Chancellor Olaf Scholz has so far been reluctant to supply tanks, citing the need to maintain the Bundeswehr's operational capability. Kiev, on the other hand, is pushing for German Marder tanks. Such deliveries would also be a major symbolic and political success, as they would isolate Moscow from the West even more than has already happened.

It was initially unclear how Austin and Blinken would travel to Kiev and how long they would stay there. Austin is scheduled to attend a conference on Ukraine organized by the U.S. government at the Ramstein military base in Germany on Tuesday. Visits by a U.S. Secretary of State or Secretary of Defense to a crisis or war zone are usually kept secret in advance by the U.S. government due to high security requirements

U.S. change of course on arms deliveries
According to a report in the Financial Times, the US has recently made a U-turn in arms deliveries to Ukraine. On the one hand, it has come to the conclusion that the danger of a Russian use of nuclear bombs, as Moscow threatens, is highly unlikely. But, above all, the high combat morale and success of the Ukrainian army had made Washington willing to supply more and heavier weapons.

It is now clear that the war will last for months and that the Ukrainian army will not simply be overwhelmed, Ian Brzezinski, who was responsible for NATO agendas in the Defense Department under U.S. President George W. Bush, told the British newspaper.

"Unprecedented pace"
The change in the U.S. position was reflected in the rapid pace of arms deliveries. Every day, eight to ten cargo planes landed near the western Ukrainian border. They were carrying heavy weapons worth hundreds of millions of euros, the FT reported, citing U.S. officials. Once the equipment is released, it now arrives in Ukraine within 48 to 72 hours. The type of equipment has also changed and now includes helicopters.

Of a total of $3.4 billion in purely military aid announced by the U.S. since the start of the war, $1.6 billion has been made available in the last seven days. The FT quotes an unnamed senior U.S. military official as speaking of an "unprecedented pace."

Selenskyj had stated in a video address on Saturday night that Ukraine's partners would eventually deliver the weapons his country had requested. This would help save the lives of thousands of people.

Ukraine: Attacks in the east

Kiev confident of victory
Blinken received Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in Washington over the weekend and promised him continued U.S. support. Shmyhal was optimistic during his visit. Ukraine says it will emerge victorious from the war with Russia very soon.
At the press conference in the metro station on Saturday, Selenskyj also brought up again a possible breakdown of any talks with Russia for an end to the war. "If our people are annihilated in Mariupol, if a pseudo-referendum on independence is held in Kherson, then Ukraine will step out of all negotiation processes." However, he remained ready for negotiations, Selenskyj said. The president renewed his readiness in principle to talk directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Links:
"FT" article (paid).
CNN

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