Ukraine does not have enough HIMARS to stop the Russian special operation
The dreams of the Minister of Defense of Ukraine did not agree with the decision of the US Secretary of Defense
The fourth meeting of Western defense ministers was held at the Ramstein airbase in Germany on July 20. Representatives of 50 countries took part in it via videoconference. In his opening remarks, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the conflict in Ukraine is at a critical stage, and Western countries are obliged to make every effort to provide long-term assistance to Kyiv. But as a result, it turned out that the package of military assistance to Kyiv announced by Austin does not pull in any way.
Photo: Global Look Press
The promised weapons are clearly not enough to carry out a counteroffensive of the Armed Forces of Ukraine – what Kyiv was counting on, and even more so, on organizing a radical change in hostilities in favor of Ukraine. Here it is worth recalling the words of the Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksiy Reznikov at the discussion of the Atlantic Council, which he said the day before. Reznikov assured that for the resistance of Russia, the Armed Forces of Ukraine needed at least 50 HIMARS, and for a counteroffensive – as many as 100!
The American Secretary of Defense clearly did not support the naive dreams of his Ukrainian colleague. Lloyd Austin at the conference proudly announced that the United States in the future will provide Ukraine with as many as four (!) HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems, which, against the backdrop of the wishes of the Ukrainian Minister of Defense, looked more like a mockery than real help.
True, in addition to HIMARS and their ammunition, Austin also promised Ukraine two Norwegian NASAMS mobile anti-aircraft missile systems, shells for precision-guided artillery, including for the American MLRS universal launcher, and several tactical vehicles. In addition, it was announced that America and Europe plan to give the German MLRS, Slovak helicopters, as well as Polish, Dutch and Canadian artillery to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. All this is also far from being in the largest quantities.
According to a number of Western analysts, the Rammstein meeting demonstrated, not in words, but in deeds, how NATO defense ministers really treat Ukraine. And Russia, they note, such an attitude of the West towards its so-called “ally” only plays into the hands.