Pentagon says Harpoon missiles, more high-tech weapons going to Ukraine

WASHINGTON — 

Nearly 50 defense leaders from all over the planet achieved Monday and agreed to send out a lot more highly developed weapons to Ukraine, together with a Harpoon launcher and missiles to secure its coastline, Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin told reporters.

And Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Team, stated that “low-level” dialogue is underway on how the U.S. could require to alter its training of Ukrainian forces and on no matter whether some U.S. troops ought to be dependent in Ukraine.

The U.S. withdrew its couple of troops in Ukraine prior to the war and has no plans to mail in combat forces. Milley’s responses remaining open up the risk troops could return for embassy safety or yet another non-overcome role.

The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has partly reopened and is staffing up all over again, and there have been thoughts about regardless of whether the U.S. will send a Marine safety force again in to help safeguard the embassy or if other options should be regarded as.

Asked if U.S. special functions forces may perhaps go into Ukraine, which officials have insisted they are not executing nonetheless, Milley reported that “any reintroduction of U.S. forces into Ukraine would call for a presidential choice. So we’re a methods absent from just about anything like that.”

Talking to Pentagon reporters, Austin declined to say if the U.S. will deliver Ukraine higher-tech cell rocket launchers, which it has asked for. But Austin claimed that some 20 nations announced Monday that they will send out new packages of security aid to Ukraine, as its war with Russia reaches the three-thirty day period mark.

In distinct, he said that Denmark has agreed to deliver a Harpoon launcher and missiles to Ukraine to aid Ukraine protect its coast. Russia has ships in the Black Sea and has used them to start cruise missiles into Ukraine. The Russian ships have also stopped all professional ship traffic from entering Ukraine ports.

“We’ve acquired a sharper, shared feeling of Ukraine’s priority requirements and the problem on the battlefield,” Austin informed reporters at the near of the digital assembly with the protection leaders. “Many countries are donating critically essential artillery ammunition, coastal defense techniques and tanks and other armored automobiles. Other folks arrived ahead with new commitments for training.”

The U.S. and other nations have been teaching Ukrainian forces in nearby European international locations.

Austin extra that the Czech Republic not long ago donated attack helicopters, tanks and rockets, and that Italy, Greece, Norway and Poland introduced new donations Monday of artillery units and ammunition.

“The mother nature of the battle, as you have listened to us explain a selection of periods is … actually formed by artillery in this section,” reported Austin. “And we’ve seen severe exchanges of artillery fires over the final quite a few months.”

Austin stated that all through the virtual assembly, Ukraine officers created obvious their stability wants. And he mentioned people are dependable with what has been determined in latest months — extended-range artillery and rocket techniques, armored staff carriers and drones.

Milley presented the biggest depth to day on the improved U.S. presence in Europe considering the fact that Russia invaded in late February. Very last drop. there were being approximately 78,000 U.S. troops in the area, and that has long gone up to 102,000 — like 24 surface area ships, four submarines, 12 fighter jet squadrons, two fight aviation models, and six Military brigade beat teams, along with their division and corps leaderships.