US Military command supports providing Ukraine with lethal weapons
A U.S. Air Force General, Paul Selva, during a hearing in the Senate on his appointment to the post of Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the U.S. Armed Forces, spoke in favor of providing lethal weapons to Ukraine.
"I support the provision of lethal defensive security assistance to Ukraine, and the Department of Defense is actively engaged on this issue," he said.
It is noted that in his testimony provided the day before the hearing, Selva also advocated supplying Ukraine with lethal weapons.
"Despite readiness improvements enabled through U.S. training, Ukraine still has significant capability shortfalls as it faces a technologically superior adversary," the high-ranking military official said.
"General Selva tells the Senate Armed Services Committee that the US European Command and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have advocated for providing lethal military assistance to #Ukraine.” wrote Steven Pifer, the former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine and expert at the Brookings Institute, on Twitter.
Michael Carpenter, head of the Penn Biden analytical center and a former Pentagon official, replied to Pifer's tweet. According to him, there is an "interagency consensus to support arming Ukraine, but the decision rests with the White House."
In his testimony to the Senate committee, Selva also acknowledged that Russia is the greatest threat to the U.S. national security.
"While North Korea, Iran, and ISIS clearly have malicious intentions and pose regional as well as global threats, none of these pose an existential threat to the Nation. Russia and China are in a different category; they are capable of engaging the United States across the full spectrum of nuclear and conventional conflict. They continue to relentlessly invest in a full-range of modern capabilities. What makes Russia a more immediate threat at this time is its nuclear capability, demonstrated aggressive behavior, and willingness to employ its military forces," he said.
Earlier, former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, also spoke in favor of providing Ukraine with defensive weapons.