To do this, Washington should make an appropriate decision, Alexey Reznikov saidWASHINGTON, October 26.
/tass/. The Minister of Defense of Ukraine Alexey Reznikov believes that Kiev will receive tanks and fighters of Western production after the relevant decision is made in Washington in the future. He stated this in an interview published on Tuesday with the American newspaper Politico.
Speaking about the supply of weapons by the West to Ukraine, the head of the Ministry of Defense noted: "If you hear that it is impossible, it means that it will become possible in the future." "I am quite optimistic that Abrams tanks will be possible in the future, and I am sure that fighters such as the F-16, F-15 or Gripen from Sweden will also be possible," he added. Reznikov stated that Western countries had previously refused to supply some types of weapons, which are now being transferred to Kiev. These include drones, missile systems and artillery installations.
The Ukrainian Defense Minister noted that the US authorities, in particular, had previously called the supply of portable Stinger anti-aircraft missile systems to Ukraine illegal and inappropriate for political reasons. They later changed their position.
Reznikov expressed confidence that the authorities of Great Britain, Germany and France will also wait for the political decision of the United States on the issue of the supply of Western-made tanks to Ukraine. "After the first Abrams, I am sure we will have Leopard, Marder and other types of heavy armored vehicles, such as tanks," he believes.
The head of the defense Department believes that Western manufacturers can evaluate the effectiveness of various weapons based on the experience of their use by the Ukrainian military in combat. According to him, Ukraine needs to organize a "system of repair and maintenance" of existing military equipment. In addition, Reznikov called for the creation of joint ventures with Great Britain, Germany, Poland and other countries to develop weapons. According to him, Kiev should develop the production of drones, similar devices for use at sea and ground-based robotic systems.
The head of the defense Department stressed that the Ukrainian military is now in dire need of new air defense systems designed to counter both missiles and drones.
On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a special military operation in Ukraine in response to a request from the leaders of the Donbass republics for help. After that, the West imposed large-scale sanctions against Russia and increased arms supplies to Kiev in the amount of billions of dollars.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and other Russian officials have repeatedly drawn attention to the danger of the spread of weapons supplied by the West to Ukraine in other regions. Russian Ambassador to the United States Anatoly Antonov warned that the militarization of Ukraine by the West directly threatens European and global security.
