Writing in a New York Times article, Biden said the US goal was “to see a democratic, independent, sovereign and prosperous Ukraine with the means to deter and protect against further aggression.”
He said the new arms supply “will allow them to strike more accurate targets at key targets on the Ukrainian battlefield.”
Officials said the systems the United States is sending to Ukraine will be equipped with ammunition that will allow Ukraine to launch missiles about 49 miles away. This is much less than the maximum range of systems, but much greater than anything Ukraine has sent so far.
The new security aid package, which will be officially announced Wednesday, will also include air surveillance radars, additional Javelin anti-tank weapons, anti-tank weapons, artillery shells, helicopters, tactical vehicles and spare parts to help Ukrainians continue to maintain the equipment, officials said.
However, Biden tried to make clear the United States’ goals in Ukraine and was careful to point out that the United States did not seek to directly engage Russia.
“We are not looking for a war between NATO and Russia. As much as I disagree with Mr Putin and find his actions outrage, the United States will not try to bring him down from power in Moscow,” Biden said about two. months after announcing in Warsaw, Poland, that Russian President Vladimir Putin “cannot stay in power.”
The new security aid comes when Russia strikes Ukraine in the east, where the country is superior and superior in weapons, Ukrainian officials said. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has repeatedly asked world leaders for more weapons and equipment.
CNN said earlier that U.S. officials had been discussing for weeks whether to send advanced missile systems to Ukraine because they could strike far beyond all the weapons they already have. The long range of weapons, technically capable of hitting Russian territory, has raised fears that Russia may view the shipments as provocative.
“Until the United States or our allies are attacked, we will not be directly involved in this conflict, either by sending US troops to fight in Ukraine or by attacking Russian forces,” Biden wrote in the article. “We do not encourage or allow Ukraine to strike beyond its borders. We do not want to prolong the war just to hurt Russia. “
Last Friday, a prominent Russian TV presenter warned that the supply of long-range missile systems to Ukraine would “cross the red line”, which would “provoke a very sharp response from Russia”. But the Biden administration has indicated it will not send ammunition to the high-mobility missile system, which could strike deep into Russian sovereign territory.
“I think the position of the United States is that they want to provide all the help we can to the Ukrainians, without escalating the situation to the point where the war spills over or, frankly, goes in a terrible direction,” the minister said earlier. Army Christine Warmouth Tuesday.
The United States, meanwhile, has taken some risks to its own readiness by continuing to supply weapons from Ukraine’s Defense Ministry’s stockpile to Ukraine, Warmouth said, but not a risk the Pentagon sees as too high.
“We are really inclined to try to provide everything that politicians consider important in order to reach the Ukrainians. And we have taken some risk for our own preparedness – not an unacceptable level of risk at all, but I think we will continue to do so, “she said as she spoke at an Atlantic Council meeting about the army’s role in the National Defense Strategy.
The president said American officials “currently see no indication that Russia intends to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine, although from time to time Russian rhetoric to brandish a nuclear sword is dangerous and extremely irresponsible.”
“Let me be clear: any use of nuclear weapons in this conflict of any magnitude would be completely unacceptable to us and to the rest of the world and would have serious consequences,” Biden wrote.
This story was updated with additional information on Tuesday.
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