NEW YORK, November 30. /TASS/. Sending military aid to Ukraine creates risks for the US itself and strains relations with Russia, Michael Hall, communications manager of Defense Priorities, said in his article published at the Daily Caller website.
"Taking risks, like siding with Ukraine in a war with Russia, is a risk without clear benefit to Americans. Any clear-eyed assessment of Russia’s position should conclude that Ukraine - if by proximity alone - is much more vital to Russia’s security than it is to America’s," he says.
While assessing Ukraine as "a mediocre military power," Halls notes that "no amount of aid from the U.S. is going to change that and allow Ukraine to miraculously triumph over Russia."
"Instead, the aid unnaturally binds the U.S. to Ukraine’s interests - that’s why Kiev is so intent on receiving U.S. Javelin missiles, even though it’s an exporter of anti-tank munitions," the expert says.
"One could hardly blame Ukraine for wanting to make the U.S. ever more responsible for its security, but what’s in it for America? And because of Russia’s interests in the region, a situation like this conjures up flashbacks of the Cold War, when two nuclear-armed countries were on the brink of doing something no sane person is advocating for," he stresses.
According to the expert, "at a time when critical restraining treaties like New START are expiring, it would be wise for Washington to cooperate more with Moscow, rather than antagonize it."
In early March of 2018, the Pentagon announced that Ukraine would receive Javelin systems for a total of $47 million, including 37 launchers and 210 anti-tank guided missiles for them. In late April of 2018, it became known that Ukraine had received these weapons.
In early October of this year, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), which is responsible for the supply of military equipment and weapons abroad under intergovernmental contracts, announced plans to sell Ukraine 150 rockets for Javelin anti-tank missile systems in the amount of $39.2 mln. According to the US Department of Defense, since 2014, the military assistance provided by Washington to Kiev amounted to $1.5 billion.