The US would be ready to help Kiev regain control over Crimea. The New York Times reports it, citing sources in the Biden administration. For years the US insisted that Crimea was still part of Ukraine. Yet the Biden administration has so far refused to supply Kiev with the weapons it needs to target the peninsula, which Russia has used as a base to launch its attacks.
But the line, writes the US newspaper, would have softened and the American president would have convinced himself that if the Ukrainian army demonstrates to Russia that its control over Crimea may be threatened, this could strengthen Kiev’s position in any future negotiations .
Meanwhile, according to what CNN announces, quoting sources familiar with the matter, the United States is preparing to launch a military aid package for Ukraine worth a total of approximately $2.5 billion. The weapons supplied would include – for the first time – the Stryker wheeled combat vehicles. The package isn’t finalized yet, one of the sources said, but it could be before the end of the week.
It is one of the largest contributions announced since the war began last February, according to a source, and would include Bradley armored fighting vehicles. Also on the list are Mraps, armored vehicles designed to withstand IEDs, improvised explosive devices, and ambushes.
For his part, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin “will pressure the Germans” to allow the transfer of their Leopard tanks to Ukraine in order to ensure the country “at a crucial moment, the ability” to counter any potential Russian spring offensive. “We are very optimistic that we will make progress on this requirement by the end of the week,” a senior US defense official told CNN.
Germany has expressed reluctance to approve the transfer of German-made Leopard tanks to Ukraine by other countries. Before the transfer can be completed, it must be approved by Berlin.