by Dan Friedman
April 10, 2022
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/20 ... -sullivan/
Introduction:
(Mother Jones) President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser said Sunday that the United States is giving Ukraine the “weapons it needs,” dropping a previous White House distinction between offensive and defensive support for Ukrainian forces.
“We’re going to get Ukraine the weapons it needs to beat back the Russians to stop them from taking more cities and towns where they commit these crimes,” Jake Sullivan said on ABC News’ This Week.
Sullivan made the rounds on morning shows Sunday, emphasizing the administration’s willingness to aggressively support Ukraine. On CBS’ Face the Nation, Sullivan credited US support with helping defeat Russian forces outside Kyiv. “Russia failed,” Sullivan said. “And they failed chiefly because of the bravery and skill of the Ukrainian armed forces. But they also failed because the United States and our partners put in the hands of those armed forces advanced weapons that help beat back the Russians.”
The Russians have retreated after nearly encircling the Ukrainian capital and are redeploying to focus on controlling the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. Russia has appointed a new commander for its forces in Ukraine, Alexander Dvornikov, who is accused of previously overseeing the indiscriminate bombing of civilians in Syria, according to reports Sunday.