President Biden Considers Sending Military Equipment To Ukraine, Kiev Wants Black Hawk, Mi-17 And Stinger Missiles

Illustration of a Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter. (Wikimedia Commons/SAC Tim Laurence)

JAKARTA - The administration of United States (US) President Joe Biden is considering sending military equipment to Ukraine, previously allocated to Afghanistan before the takeover of Taliban, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday citing the US and Ukrainian officials.

Citing Sputnik News on December 18, the report said Kyiv officials urged the US Government to provide helicopters, including Russian-made Mi-17s, and other military equipment, meant for the now-defunct Afghan National Security Forces.

In addition, Ukraine also urged the United States to provide air defense systems, including the Stinger surface-to-air missile, the report added.

The United States could provide Ukraine with five Mi-17 helicopters used by the Afghan military, but are currently undergoing maintenance in Eastern Europe, the report said.

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Ukraine is also pursuing 12 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters that the United States has allocated to the Afghan military but have not yet delivered, the report added.

In addition, the report says, according to a US official there are supplies of US and NATO ammunition in Romania and Bulgaria that could be made available to Ukraine.

However, the White House is hesitant to send more weapons to Ukraine for fear it could escalate tensions with Russia and hinder diplomatic efforts for stability in the region, the report said, citing members of Congress and US administration officials.