US to send portable anti-tank missiles to Ukraine

(Baonghean.vn)- Analysts say the US move to ship anti-tank missiles and other weapons to Ukraine could represent a new phase in Washington's strategy to bring balance to the ground.,even if this move undermines the implementation of the Minsk peace agreement.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Photo: AP

The Wall Street Journal reported on August 1 that the Pentagon and the US State Department have agreed on a plan to provide lethal weapons to Ukraine, and the plan is now awaiting White House approval. These weapons include Javelin portable anti-tank missiles, anti-aircraft weapons, and other advanced weapons.

Commenting on the latest move, former senior Israeli intelligence official Yakov Kedmi said Russia would certainly respond to the US arms transfer to Ukraine, as this was likely an attempt to bring balance to the conflict.

“If this happens, it can only mean one thing: the US has entered a new stage in the transfer of weapons to Ukraine. Russia will have to consider taking corresponding countermeasures,” Mr. Kedmi said.

The expert explained that US lawmakers appear to believe that providing anti-tank missiles could give the Ukrainian military and US allies the ability to counter the heavy armored forces used by separatist forces in Donetsk and Lugansk.

Mr. Kedmi also criticized Washington's decision as a very serious political mistake because of the consequences it could bring. He warned: "From a political point of view, this decision is completely wrong, because the US could face a strong reaction in the future."

New US sanctions against Russia threaten the Minsk agreement. Photo: AP

According to him, this plan was previously developed by the US government but the final decision belongs to President Donald Trump.

Another expert from the University of Illinois (USA), Professor Francis Boyle, who specializes in International Law, said the consequences of transferring these weapons to Ukraine would be dire.

“Lethal weapons are lethal weapons whether you call them defensive or offensive. In the context of the current situation in Ukraine, the distinction is meaningless,” he stressed.

Mr Boyle also warned that the decision could derail efforts by President Trump and his Russian counterpart Putin to defuse the crisis in Ukraine.

Mr. Boyle emphasized that the Minsk agreement remains an important and irreplaceable agreement both legally and diplomatically, aiming to restore peace in Ukraine since the government of former Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych was overthrown in a US-backed coup in February 2014./.

Lan Ha

(According to Sputnik)