US could potentially provide Ukraine with weapons to inflict "serious damage" on Russia – Whitaker
The United States could in future supply Ukraine with weapons capable of doing "serious damage" to Russia.
U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker said this at the Riga Conference, Censor.NET reports.
Answering a question about the prospect of providing Kyiv with Tomahawk missiles, Vitaker said he did not want to "pre-empt any announcements" from the White House.
He added that the U.S. has "powerful weapons" that could inflict "serious damage anywhere and anytime of our choosing."
"The priority list of Ukraine’s needs, and the aid packages being delivered at an accelerated pace, are further proof of NATO’s, our allies’ and the United States’ determination. This is not only about air-defence systems to protect civilians, but also about extremely powerful weapons that Ukrainians can use directly on the battlefield," the diplomat explained.
He stressed that all these measures increase pressure on Russia’s dictator, Vladimir Putin, with the aim of eventually forcing him to the negotiating table.
"[These supplies] can change the calculus. But clearly we are not yet at the point where Vladimir Putin will decide it is time to negotiate. As President Trump said, we still have many cards up our sleeve.
I think his recent optimism that Ukraine might be able to retake territory sends a signal, and we will all have to wait and see where that leads. But ultimately he just wants the killings to stop," the top U.S. diplomat added.
