Political | Process

The United States will permit Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to dispatch American-made weapons to Ukraine amid growing tensions between Moscow, Washington and NATO, according to a new report. 

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• The three Baltic states, all of whom are members of the Atlantic alliance, will be able to redirect Javelin anti-tank weapons and Stinger air-defense systems to help the Kiev government, according to the Wall Street Journal, which cited US officials. 

• Additionally, the US plans to give Ukraine five Russian-made Mi-17 transport helicopters, which were being repaired in the Eastern European country and were originally intended for Afghanistan’s military. Congress has reportedly been notified of the decision. 

• “The United States and its allies and partners are standing together to expedite security assistance to Ukraine,” a State Department spokesman told the Journal. 

• “We are in close touch with our Ukrainian partners and our NATO Allies on this and are utilizing all available security cooperation tools to help Ukraine bolster its defenses in the face of growing Russian aggression,” the spokesman added.

• The spokesman declined to provide further details on the shipments from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia. 

• The decision comes just days after the United Kingdom announced it would also be supplying Ukraine with military weapons, including short-range anti-tank missiles and additional British troops.