RT reported that the US has recently approved the transfer of 100 patriot anti-aircraft missiles and 125 long-range artillery missiles from Germany's arsenal to Ukraine, in the context of Kiev's shortage of these weapons.
President Volodymyr Zelensky has long called on allies to provide more patriot and long-range missiles. On April 13, Mr. Zelensky even said that if not supported, Ukraine would be willing to spend 10 billion USD to buy or rent patriot complexes. Each patriot air defense system costs more than $1 billion and requires about 90 experienced soldiers to operate.
The statement was later strongly criticized by US President Donald Trump. Mr Trump said that Mr Zelensky "had always found a way to buy missiles", while asserting that Mr Zelensky himself was the one who initiated the conflict with Russia.
President Trump, who has repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the imbalance in sharing defense costs between the US and its European allies, allowed the Berlin government to transfer US-made ammunition to Kiev, reflecting Washington's efforts to make Europe more burdened, as the White House is no longer ready to maintain expensive military aid packages as under its previous administration.
In April, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said Berlin had planned to transfer four IRIS-T SLM air defense systems and 30 accompanying missiles. Germany has also handed over 60 anti-personnel vehicles, 50,000 artillery shells and 1 IRIS-T intercept rocket.
In a recent development, the British military is providing Ukraine with assembled military equipment models that resemble real weapons, in order to make Moscow mistakenly assess the number of weapons that Kiev is deploying at the front line.
The focus of the campaign is the UK-supplied tank, self-propelled artillery and air defense simulation systems, designed in the Ikea-style style - easy to assemble from flat plates and can be quickly erected near the battle line.
This fraud campaign was led by Taskforce kindred - a 20-person group of the British Ministry of National Defense, in coordination with industry experts. According to Colonel Olly Todd, military commander of Taskforce kindred, for every 5 real weapons sent to Ukraine, Kiev will receive up to 30 fake models.
For its part, Russia continues to condemn the Western supply of weapons to Ukraine, saying that it only prolongs the conflict without changing the final outcome.
On May 10, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia would ask the US and Europe to stop arms assistance to Ukraine in any potential ceasefire.
