Biden says Ukrainians 'making fools of Russian military'
Joe Biden on Tuesday credited the assembly line workers at a Javelin missile plant for doing life-saving work in building the antitank weapons that are being sent to Ukraine to stifle Russia’s invasion.
The US president made a pitch for Congress to approve $33 billion so the US can continueto supply aid to the front lines.
“You’re allowing the Ukrainians to defend themselves,” Biden told the workers, his podium flanked by Javelin missile launchers and shipping containers. “And, quite frankly, they’re making fools of the Russian military in many instances.”
The U.S. has provided at least 7,000 Javelins, including some transferred during the Trump administration, or about one-third of its stockpile, to Ukraine in recent years, according to analysts.
The Biden administration says it has committed to sending 5,500 Javelins to Ukraine since the Feb. 24 invasion. Analysts also estimate that the United States has sent about one-quarter of its stockpile of shoulder-fired Stinger missiles to Ukraine.
The president’s visit to the Lockheed Martin factory in Alabama drew attention to a growing concern as the war drags on: whether the US can continue to supply Ukraine while maintaining a health stockpile of weapons.
(Euronews with AP)
