Ukraine deploys US-made weapons to counter Russia?
As Russia deploys its largest troop buildup near Ukraine’s border since 2014, the question for Kiev is: Is it time to put American-made weapons into the field?
Ukraine purchased 210 Javelin anti-tank missiles and 37 launchers from the US in 2018 for about $47 million. In late 2019, the US State Department also approved the sale of a second batch of 150 missiles and 10 launchers to Ukraine.
However, these contracts come with restrictions on their use, including the requirement that the Javelin missiles be stored in western Ukraine, far from areas of conflict.
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| Ukrainian soldiers fire a Javelin anti-tank missile during military exercises on the outskirts of Kiev in 2018. Photo: AP |
The Javelin is a shoulder-fired missile that uses infrared guidance to target and destroy enemy tanks at a distance of up to 5km. The Trump administration approved the sale of weapons to Ukraine after its predecessor Barack Obama rejected the request over concerns that lethal aid to Kiev could provoke Moscow.
Wess Mitchell, the State Department's official in charge of European and Eurasian affairs in the Donald Trump administration, said that Javelin and other lethal weapons sold to Ukraine were not for offensive purposes to deter Moscow from invading Ukrainian territory.
However, while Washington has called on Kiev to use the Javelins only for defensive purposes and has required them to be stored in secure facilities far from conflict zones, there are no geographic restrictions on their actual deployment, meaning Ukrainian forces can transport, distribute, and use them at will.
Ukraine and the use of Javelin missiles
If Javelins are delivered, that does not necessarily mean they will be used. Kiev’s calculations suggest that the time has not yet come for them to be fired. Ukrainian sources say the red line could be Russian tanks crossing the border into Ukrainian territory.
In a statement on April 12, the foreign ministers of the G7 countries – including Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US and the European Union – criticized Russia for sending troops close to the Ukrainian border and expressed deep concern about this move.
“This large-scale deployment of troops, without prior notice, is threatening and destabilizing. We call on Russia to cease these provocative actions and immediately de-escalate tensions in accordance with its international obligations,” the statement said.
