President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky begged Western allies to provide his country with military aid as Russia continued its gratuitous invasion.
“We need you now,” Zelensky told members of the US Congress in one of his latest pleas for help before a friendly government.
The United States and other NATO member states have complied with some of Zelensky’s requests and stopped taking some measures that they consider to pose a risk of escalation.
SUPPORT OF WEAPONS
Military aid provided to Ukraine so far has ranged from mobile drones to complex, long-range missile systems.
Switchblade drone. Small, portable drones, known as kamikaze drones, carry warheads and explode on impact. According to the drone manufacturer, AeroVironment, the smallest model can hit targets up to 6 km away. It is not clear what size model the US will send to Ukraine.
Stinger anti-aircraft missile. These heat-seeking anti-aircraft missiles have ranges of about 5 miles and 11,000 feet. It is important that the Stinger missile can distinguish between enemy aircraft and combat aircraft.
Anti-tank weapon launches javelin. The guided missile system can be shoulder-fired by a single launcher and has a range of up to 8,200 feet.
AT-4 anti-armor system. According to the company that makes them, Saab Bofors Dynamics, these Swedish anti-armor weapons are “lightweight, single-shot and completely disposable”.
Patriot air defense missile system. The United States also delivered two missile defense systems to Poland this month aimed at deterring Russia and boosting Poland’s security amid Western concerns that the Ukraine conflict could spread to affiliated countries. with NATO.
The Patriot air defense missile system – Patriot stands for “Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept of Target” – is designed to counter and destroy short-range ballistic missiles, advanced aircraft and cruise missiles.
The complex includes a missile and launch station, a target detection and tracking radar, and an interactive control station, according to the Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance.
OTHER ACTION
In addition to military aid to Ukraine, the US and its NATO allies have enacted a series of sanctions against Russia.
Putin. The United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Canada have announced they will impose sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
FAST. The US, EU, UK and Canada have banned some Russian banks from participating in SWIFT, the highly secure network that facilitates payments to 11,000 financial institutions in 200 countries.
‘Most Favored Nation’ Regulation. The US House of Representatives has passed a bill suspending normal trade relations with Russia. The final vote was 424-8 with strong bipartisan support for the bill, followed by the Senate.
Energy and oil. EU officials say the bloc will cut Russia’s natural gas imports by two-thirds this year, and the EU has announced plans to achieve energy independence from Moscow “by 2030”. That would separate Europe from its single largest energy supplier.
In addition, President Joe Biden announced a ban on imports of Russian oil, natural gas and coal into the United States. And the British government on Tuesday said it would phase out Russian oil imports by the end of 2022 and seek to end natural gas imports.
Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline. Germany has stopped certifying the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline following Moscow’s action.
URBAN REQUEST NOT COMPLETED
As the deadly Russian invasion continued, Zelensky demanded a number of actions that Western allies feared would put them in direct conflict with the Kremlin and escalate the war.
Not the flight area. Zelensky has repeatedly called on Ukraine’s allies to establish a no-fly zone over the country. A no-fly zone is an area where some aircraft cannot fly for some reason. In the context of a conflict like Ukraine, it could mean an area where Russian planes are not allowed to fly, to prevent them from carrying out airstrikes against Ukraine.
The problem with military no-fly zones is that they must be enforced by a military power. If a Russian plane flew into a NATO no-fly zone, NATO forces would have to take action against that aircraft. Such measures could include shooting aircraft from the sky. In the eyes of Russia, that would be an act of aggression by NATO and potentially escalate the conflict.
S-300 missile defense system. This surface-to-air missile system can hit targets at both higher altitudes and farther than the designed Stinger missile.
Slovakia has agreed to provide Ukraine with a key Soviet-era air defense system to help defend against Russian air strikes, according to three sources familiar with the matter. But the US and NATO are still grappling with how to bolster their own defenses, and delivery is far from guaranteed.
MiG fighter. Earlier this month, the US rejected Poland’s offer to deliver MiG-29 fighter jets to the US for delivery to Ukraine.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said in a statement that the US did not believe the Polish proposal was “tolerable” and that it was too risky.
“The prospect of warplanes ‘under the direction of the Government of the United States’ departing from a US/NATO base in Germany to fly into the airspace disputed with Russia over Ukraine raises concerns. serious for the entire NATO alliance,” Kirby said.
