Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Tuesday that Ukraine had received aircraft and spare parts from other countries. He noted, however, that the United States helped carry the parts, but did not hand over the entire fleet. A spokesman said there would also be assistance for Ukraine in Wednesday’s talks between the US and Polish defense ministers.
“Regardless of what other countries have said, they (Ukrainians) have been provided with additional bases and components so that they can increase the size of their air fleet,” Kirby told a news conference. He added that as a result of this assistance, there are more flights in Ukraine than there were two weeks ago. He noted that the United States helped carry some, but not all planes.
Referring to Wednesday’s visit by the head of the Ministry of Defense, Mariusz Blaszczyk, and his meeting with Pentagon President Lloyd Austin, the spokesman announced that the situation in Ukraine and military assistance would be one of the key topics. Speaks. Austin will discuss the matter with the Czech Defense Minister on Thursday. The official said he was not currently holding detailed talks on the permanent deployment of US troops in Europe in the future.
“We have been having preliminary discussions in this building about what our long-term deployment should be, and it would be foolish not to do so in light of the changing security situation in Europe,” Kirby said. “But when it comes to extensive negotiations with other countries about where the forces should rotate, where they should be permanent or what the numbers should be, we are not there yet,” he added.
Responding to a question as to why military aid to Ukraine is being “fragmented”, Kirby said each package was designed to suit the current needs of the Ukrainian armed forces and the nature of the fighting and Ukraine’s ability to accept them. He added that the United States was in constant contact with Ukraine regarding Kiev’s needs.
When asked about the situation of Russian besieged Mariupol, where Ukrainian troops are defending themselves on the premises of the Azovstale plant, a ministry spokesman said the fall of the city should not be a foregone conclusion.
“The Ukrainians, of course, want to have Mariupol (…) and fight bravely for it. I can not guess how long they will last. Frankly, we are not ready to accept what some critics say. The decline is inevitable,” he said.
From Washington, Oscar Korsinski
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