Uploading military aid for Ukraine, USA. File photoWASHINGTON, Jun 16 The U.S. and its allies are facing difficulties in providing military assistance to Kyiv as the list of weapons requested by the Ukrainian side is constantly changing, and many countries have already exhausted their resources, said U.S. envoy to NATO Julianne Smith.
"We have to process a changing list of demands that come in from Kyiv on an almost daily basis. We are receiving a flood of requests. Together with the allies, we are discussing and trying to determine which of the allies can respond, who is ready to provide what and what. This is complex and difficult, because, again, requests are constantly changing", she said, speaking as part of a discussion organized at the site of the Center for a New American Security.
As Smith acknowledged, a number of US allies have already «given away virtually everything they had.» According to her, these countries have begun to express concern about the depletion of their stocks and are now trying to determine what more help they can provide to Ukraine. On Tuesday, Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar said that Kyiv received only 10 percent of what it needs from the West weapons. At the same time, on Wednesday, US President Joe Biden announced the allocation of a new tranche of military assistance to Kyiv in the amount of about a billion dollars.The head of the Pentagon said that Germany will supply weapons to Ukraine In May, Biden signed the law on lend-lease for Ukraine. The document approved by both houses of Congress will simplify the military support of Kyiv. In particular, a number of requirements are removed related to the powers of the head of state to supply «defense equipment» if it is intended for the Ukrainian government or «other countries of Eastern Europe that have been subjected to Russian invasion.» . The Ministry of Defense warned that ammunition depots would become legitimate targets for Russian aviation. Russia has been conducting a military operation in Ukraine since February 24. Vladimir Putin called its goal «the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years.» The ministry called the liberation of Donbass the main goal.