WASHINGTON, D.C. – The United States announced significant new military assistance for Ukraine this week as madman Russian leader Vladimir Putin introduced Kim Jong Un and his North Korean fighters into the conflict.
According to a statement released on October 21, 2024, from the U.S. State Department:
The United States is providing another significant package of urgently needed weapons and equipment to our Ukrainian partners as they defend against Russia’s ongoing attacks. This additional assistance, provided under previously exercised Presidential Drawdown Authority from Department of Defense stocks, is valued at $400 million. It includes Munitions for HIMARS; 155mm and 105mm artillery ammunition; Mortars; M113 armored vehicle; Tube-launched, Optically tracked, Wire-guided (TOW) missiles; Javelin missiles; AT-4 rockets; Satellite communications support; Ammunition for crew-served weapons; Small arms, grenades, and training equipment; Demolitions equipment and munitions; and Spare parts, ancillary equipment, services, training, and transportation.
The United States is committed to supporting Ukraine with the equipment it needs to strengthen its position on the battlefield, defend against the Kremlin’s brutal aggression, and secure a just and lasting peace. As President Biden has made clear, the United States and the international coalition we have assembled will continue to stand with Ukraine.
Even as the United States and other NATO allies continue to bolster the beleaguered Ukrainians, who have faced an all-out Russian invasion since 2022 (or 2014, as Russia invaded the Crimea and backed pro-Russian fighters in Eastern Ukraine then), the temperature in the region is getting hotter. Moldova just finished elections that both the East and the West recognized as both tug on the tiny nation to join their side. And worse, Russia ally North Korea has announced its full support for the Russian invasion. As a show of support, the rogue kingdom and its hallowed leader Kim Jung Un is sending troops and supplies into the fray. According to a new statement from Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy:
We have information about the preparation of two units of North Korean military personnel—potentially two brigades of around 6,000 soldiers each. This is a challenge, but we know how to respond to it. What’s important is that our partners don’t turn a blind eye to it.
I’m grateful to all the countries and leaders who have condemned North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war. It’s clear that in Pyongyang, just as in Moscow, they don’t value human life. But we all are interested in ending this war, not prolonging it. That’s why we must stop Russia and its allies together. If North Korea can intervene in a war in Europe, it’s obvious that there hasn’t been enough pressure on this regime.
If Russia can still expand and extend this war, then everyone in the world who is not helping to force Russia into peace is, in fact, helping Putin wage this war. Aggressors must be stopped. We expect a firm, concrete response from the world. Hopefully, not just in words.
The war in Ukraine rages on, with no signs of slowing any time soon. A stalemate may set in over the winter months. Ukraine continues to hold Russian ground in the northeast as Russian forces continue to press westward.