The United States has approved requests from the Baltic countries to ship American-made weapons to Ukraine amid fears of a Russian invasion, a US official said Thursday.
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The United States is “accelerating authorized transfers of equipment of American origin from other allies”, a State Department official said from Berlin, where the head of the American diplomacy Antony Blinken started talks on the Ukraine with the Europeans.
“European allies have what they need to advance additional security assistance (to) Ukraine in the days and weeks ahead,” the official added.
A source familiar with the clearances clarified that the approval was for urgent requests from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
The exact quantities and types of weapons have not been specified, but the arsenals of the Baltic countries notably include Javelin anti-tank missiles.
“We have decided to send weapons and other aid (to Ukraine),” Lithuanian Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas confirmed to AFP, according to which this move aims to “dissuade” Russia from any attack.
“History shows us that making concessions to the aggressor eventually results in a great war. We don’t want that. Any country that defends itself must have the opportunity to do so,” added the minister.
His Latvian counterpart Artis Pabriks had indicated on Wednesday that his country would deliver to Ukraine “lethal and non-lethal defense equipment”.
“We are in the process of drawing up a list of things that we can deliver, email it will only be published when everything has been transported to Ukraine,” he said at a press conference.
As for Estonia, whose Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on Wednesday confirmed “absolute support” for Ukraine, it could provide it with 122 mm howitzers (short barrels) and Javelin anti-tank missiles, as well as a hospital for campaign and assistance against cyber attacks.
The howitzers had been sold by Germany to Finland, then bought back, 42 in number, by Estonia. Therefore Tallinn needs the agreement of these two countries to be able to hand over part of it to Kiev.
Tens of thousands of Russian troops, as well as tanks and artillery, have been deployed near the Ukrainian border since the end of last year, particularly worrying the three Baltic countries, which are also in the immediate vicinity of Russia.
Since last year, President Joe Biden’s administration has approved sending $650 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, including $200 million last month.
Kiev urges Westerners to deliver additional defense weapons, in full tension with Moscow suspected of preparing an invasion.
Britain announced on Monday that it intended to send anti-tank weapons.
Germany, for its part, rejected the idea of delivering arms to Ukraine, saying it would only aggravate tensions.