pentagon press secretary John Kirby He again denied on Friday that the United States had given the Ukrainian military specific information to allow them to sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moskva, in April.
We’ll break down the details of the Pentagon’s response, including a recent shift in funding to replenish US missiles sent to Ukraine, an upcoming meeting that includes top Western leaders, and Jill Biden’s trip to Europe.
This is Defense and National Security, your late-night guide to the latest happenings at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond. For The Hill, I’m Ellen Mitchell. Did a friend forward this newsletter to you? Sign up here.
Pentagon denies providing ‘specific target’ information
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby again denied on Friday that the United States had given the Ukrainian military specific information to allow them to sink the flagship of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, the Moscowin April.
Kirby first denied Thursday night that the United States gave the Ukrainian military “target-specific information” that allowed them to sink the Moskva.
“We do not provide Ukraine with specific information on targets for Moskva. We were not involved in the Ukrainians’ decision to attack the ship or in the operation they carried out,” Kirby said in a statement.
“We had no prior knowledge of Ukraine’s intention to target the ship. The Ukrainians have their own intelligence capabilities to track and target Russian warships, as they did in this case.”
An earlier report: Kirby’s comment came after officials told NBC News and The New York Times that intelligence provided by the US to Ukraine helped sink the ship.
However, the media reported that officials said the United States did not know Ukraine’s military would attack Moskva and was not consulted before the decision was made.
The Pentagon’s response: At a press conference on Thursday, Kirby said that Ukraine uses a variety of intelligence to make decisions on the battlefield.
“Ukraine combines the information that we and other partners provide with the intelligence that they themselves are gathering on the battlefield, and then they make their own decisions and take their own actions,” he said.
“We do not provide intelligence on the location of high-ranking military leaders on the battlefield or participate in the targeting decisions of the Ukrainian army. Frankly, the Ukrainians have much more information than we do. This is their country, their territory, and they have their own intelligence gathering capabilities.”
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Pentagon Moves $1.45 Billion for Weapons for Ukraine
The Pentagon has transferred $1.45 billion to the Army and Marine Corps to resupply Javelin The United States sent Stinger anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine, the Defense Department’s top arms buyer said on Friday.
The funds come from the $13.6 billion supplemental funding provided by Congress in March for Ukraine-related assistance, $3.5 billion of which is earmarked for replenishing US weapons stockpiles.
“Following the required 30-day notification to Congress, the first tranche of funds, approximately $1.45 billion, was transferred to the Army and Marine Corps earlier this week to acquire replenishment stock of Stingers, Javelins and other key components. ”, William LaPlante, the deputy secretary. of Defense for acquisition and maintenance, told reporters.
Breakdown of numbers: Inside Defense first reported in the transfer, which includes about $1.1 billion for the Army, split between $809 million for Javelin missiles and $303 million for Stingers, with the Marine Corps receiving $370 million for Stingers, according to a document obtained by the outlet. of the Pentagon comptroller.
The United States has given Ukraine more than 1,400 Stinger systems and 5,500 javelins along with billions of dollars worth of other weapons since Russia began its attack on Ukraine on February 24.
The missiles, which can be carried and launched by people, have been used to great effect against Kremlin forces.
issues: But with the US having supplied a third of its Javelin reserves and a quarter of its Stingers in just under three months of war, the Biden administration is struggling to replenish those depleted supplies.
To that end, the administration has requested a second supplement from Congress, another $33 billion to support Ukraine’s military and economy and address the humanitarian crisis caused by the war. About $5.4 billion of that would go toward replenishing additional weapons.
Compounding the problem, however, is Raytheon Technologies, the maker of the Stinger missiles. Last week he revealed that he won’t be able to quickly produce more weapons due to a lack of parts and materials.
Upcoming contracts: LaPlante noted that the Army is “actively negotiating” with the Stingers and related components industry, with an award expected in late May.
For Javelins, an award is imminent, he added.
In addition, the Pentagon will award a $17.8 million contract for industry to produce and ship Switchblade unmanned aerial systems to Ukraine.
“That’s an award to be seen later today, later this afternoon,” LaPlante said.
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Biden and Zelensky will participate in the G-7 meeting
President Biden will participate in a virtual meeting with the leaders of the Group of Seven (G-7) on Sunday morning that will also include Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said.
The virtual meeting will take place a day before Russia’s Victory Day, a moment Psaki emphasized Friday when he revealed plans for the engagement in a group with reporters on Air Force One.
Who else will participate?: The G-7 includes Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
The leaders are expected to discuss Russia’s response to the war in Ukraine and possible additional sanctions on Moscow in response to the invasion.
meet goals: Psaki did not anticipate any action on Friday, but said the administration was considering sanctions on additional individuals and companies, as well as measures to prevent sanctions evasion.
He said that the leaders during the virtual meeting would demonstrate the unity of Western countries against the Russian invasion.
waiting, watching: The international community is closely following Russia’s actions on Victory Day, the May 9 holiday that marks the country’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Some have speculated that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use the day to formally declare war on Ukraine; Putin has previously referred to the war only as a “special military operation.”
Biden administration officials have warned that Russia could try to annex more Ukrainian territory on May 9, which is Monday.
Read more here.
Jill Biden in Romania, serving meals to US troops
First lady Jill Biden arrived in Romania on Friday to begin her four-day trip through Eastern Europe, which will include a visit to Ukrainian refugees amid Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The first lady’s plane landed at Mihail Kogalniceanu International Airport in southeastern Romania at around 5:02 p.m. local time. She was greeted by military officials before going to the Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base, where food served to US troops, according to reporters traveling with the first lady.
Working with military families: The first lady also discussed with troops the difficulties deployments have for families, referencing her own experience during her late son Beau Biden’s deployment. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the total number of personnel at the base has roughly tripled to about 2,700, military leadership at the scene told reporters.
Biden filmed a virtual storytime on base as part of his Joining Forces initiative to support military families in partnership with United Through Reading, an organization that connects military families with deployed service members through video recordings and readings. of virtual books.
Travel plans: Biden then plans to travel to Bucharest and on Saturday will meet with members of the Romanian government, US embassy staff, aid workers and educators who help teach displaced Ukrainian children.
He will then visit Slovakia’s border with Ukraine on Sunday to mark Mother’s Day, visiting a city-run refugee center and school, where he will tour and learn about services for Ukrainian refugees and hear from those refugees. Biden will also visit a public school in Kosice that houses Ukrainian refugee students.
On Monday, he is scheduled to meet with Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava before returning to the US.
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