Ukraine: US Pledges More Weapons, Putin Pledges Response to Kursk Offensive
The US announced an additional $125M delivery of weapons to Ukraine on Friday — a drawdown of existing Department of Defense stocks that will include drones alongside munitions for a range of weapons, including rockets, artillery, missiles, and small arms, in addition to ambulances and other eq...
Facts
- The US announced an additional $125M delivery of weapons to Ukraine on Friday — a drawdown of existing Department of Defense stocks that will include drones alongside munitions for a range of weapons, including rockets, artillery, missiles, and small arms, in addition to ambulances and other equipment.[1][2]
- Additionally, the US Treasury Department on Friday announced sanctions on hundreds of firms in Russia and further afield, all of whom the US said were arming the Russian war machine.[3]
- Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US military think tank that tracks troop positions in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, reported that Ukraine continued to make marginal advances near Sudzha in Russia's Kursk region. However, amid Russia's reinforcement of the region, ISW said there were unconfirmed reports that Russian forces re-took two villages.[4][5]
- Earlier in the week, Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to the US, said that following a meeting with senior officials over the situation in Kursk, Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin 'has made a decision' on how Russia will respond. 'I am firmly convinced that everyone will be severely punished for what has happened in Kursk region,' Antonov added.[6]
- Ukraine had hoped the offensive in Kursk would divert Russian troops from Ukraine's east, taking the pressure off the frontlines, but reports suggested that has not been the case, with Russian troops continuing to bear down on the Donetsk cities of Pokrovsk and Toretsk.[7]
- According to the latest analysis from ISW, Russian forces made confirmed advances near both cities over the past day, adding that geolocated footage confirmed for the first time that Russian troops were now fighting in Toretsk itself.[4]
Sources: [1]Al Jazeera, [2]State, [3]Associated Press, [4]Understandingwar, [5]Business Insider, [6]Reuters and [7]BBC News.
Narratives
- Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by The White House. Throughout the two-and-a-half years of Russia's vicious onslaught on Ukraine, the US has been at Ukraine's side to ensure that it remains an independent country and that Putin does not succeed. This latest weapons package shows that the US support for Ukraine remains unwavering.
- Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Strategic Culture. With US weapons now attacking inside Russia, with reports that Ukrainian troops are supported by Western special forces disguised as mercenaries, we're now as close to World War III as we've ever been. It is shocking that Western elites continue to pursue these disastrous policies.
