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US Will Provide Antipersonnel Mines To Ukraine — US Official

On Sunday, Biden gave Ukraine the green light to fire US-supplied long-range missiles into Russian territory for the first time.


Ukrainian cadets servicemen lay lit candles in front of the Motherland Monument during a commemoration ceremony marking the 1,000th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the National Museum of History of Ukraine in the Second World War, in Kyiv, on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)

 

The United States will soon provide Ukraine with antipersonnel land mines to shore up its defences against Russian forces, a US official said late Tuesday.

The decision comes as President Joe Biden works to boost Ukraine’s war effort in the final two months of his administration, before Ukraine aid critic Donald Trump takes power in January.

 

Vasyl Khymynets , Ukranie’s Ambassador to Austria, speaks expats and other supporters gathering at Stephan’s square to show solidarity with Ukraine, marking 1000 days of the start of the war in Ukraine, in in Vienna, Austria on November 19, 2024. – (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

On Sunday, Biden gave Ukraine the green light to fire US-supplied long-range missiles into Russian territory for the first time.

 

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The US official added that Washington has sought commitments from Ukraine to use the mines in its own territory and only in areas that are not populated in order to decrease the risk they pose to civilians.

 

Ukrainian women attend a protest to show solidarity with Ukraine, marking 1000 days of the start of the war in Ukraine, at Stephan’s square in Vienna, Austria on November 19, 2024.  (Photo by JOE KLAMAR / AFP)

The mines are known as being “non-persistent” because they go inert after a set period of time, when their battery power runs out.

Trump has repeatedly promised to end the war quickly, but has not provided details of how he would do so.

With Russia gaining ground and increasing talk of negotiations, Ukraine is wary of being at a disadvantage when it comes to hashing out a peace settlement.

 

Ukrainian cadets servicewomen and servicemen hold lit candles as they stand in attention before the Motherland Monument during a commemoration ceremony marking the 1,000th day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the National Museum of History of Ukraine in the Second World War, in Kyiv, on November 19, 2024. (Photo by Roman PILIPEY / AFP)

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told US television network Fox News Tuesday that Ukraine will lose the war if the United States pulls its funding to Kyiv.

For its part Russia warned it would respond to Ukraine’s use of long-range missiles — which it launched for the first time Tuesday — with President Vladimir Putin issuing a possible nuclear threat as the conflict passed the 1,000 day benchmark.

 

AFP