NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was in Washington this week for meetings with President Biden and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Stoltenberg warned on Thursday that the conflict in Ukraine had transformed into a “war of attrition,” and highlighted the importance of continued American and European arms shipments to Kyiv.
“Therefore, we just have to be prepared for the long haul, because what we see is that this war has now become a war of attrition, where the Ukrainians are paying a high price for defending their own country … but also where we see that Russia is taking high casualties.”
The war most likely will end at the negotiating table, Stoltenberg said, adding that what happens during talks is very closely linked to the situation on the ground, on the battlefield.
Asked if Ukraine is being pressured by the West to accept losses of territory in order to negotiate peace, Stoltenberg said "it's not for us to decide” what Ukraine should accept or refuse.
HIMARS
This week the Biden Administration confirmed that within the latest traunch of military aid for Ukraine will be four M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, also known as HIMARS. This is a light wheeled, medium-range multiple rocket launcher that will help Ukrainian forces take out key positions much deeper into Russian-occupied territory.
According to Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl, the HIMARS system was Ukraine's "top priority" request from the U.S. as it would provide the country’s forces with greater range and precision than any of artillery previously sent.
“I think we’re not we’re not seeing the Ukrainian defenses buckle, they’re hanging on,” he said. “But it is a grinding fight, and we believe that these additional capabilities will arrive in a timeframe that’s relevant and allow the Ukrainians to very precisely target the types of things they need for the current fight.”
Kahl goes onto say that the HIMARS will greater standoff. "Right now, the howitzers we provided them have about a 30 km range; the HIMARS have more than twice that."
Kahl added that the White House has obtained a formal commitment from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to use the system only for defensive purposes and avoid firing missiles into Russian territory, even if such a strike would be considered in defense of their nation.
Nuclear Envoys Meet in S. Korea
Top nuclear envoys of South Korea, the United States and Japan met for the first time Friday since President Yoon took office last month amid growing nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.
Speaking to reporters before their meeting, the senior diplomats all underscored the importance of a "firm and united" response to Kim's actions.
Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, said that U.S. intelligence believes that the North is preparing its Punggye-ri test site for what would be its seventh nuclear test.
"This assessment is consistent with the DPRK's own recent public statements. We are preparing for all contingencies in close coordination with our Japanese and ROK allies. Furthermore, we are prepared to make both short and longer term adjustments to our military posture as appropriate in responding to any DPRK provocation and as necessary to strengthen both defense and deterrence to protect our allies in the region."
N. Korea Heads UN Conference on Disarmament
One day prior to this meeting of the nuclear envoys, North Korea was given temporary control over the Geneva-based Conference on Disarmament. The appointment comes despite the hermit nation threatening the West and its regional neighbors with a series of banned ICBM tests over the last few months.
Around 50 countries have voiced their outrage, many during their Thursday meeting at the UN's European headquarters in Geneva. In Washington, State Department spokesman Ned Price said that North Korea’s role called the body’s utility into doubt.
“It certainly does call that into question when you have a regime like the DPRK in a senior leadership post, a regime that has done as much as any other government around the world to erode the non-proliferation norm.”
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