White House Pressures Israel To Expand Military Aid To Ukraine
Axios has revealed in a Wednesday report that the Biden administration last week urged Israel to begin giving Ukraine direct military aid. Israel has sought thus far during the Russian invasion to portray itself as neutral, up to this point refusing requests from Ukrainian leadership for Israeli weapons.
However, it was only last month that Israel agreed to send what were perhaps merely symbolic shipments of helmets and bulletproof vests, which were described as for use by first responders, and not Ukraine's armed forces.
At the moment Ukraine is reportedly seeking Israeli military communications gear and anti-drone systems, according to Axios. Tel Aviv has long sought to be careful about not angering Russia, given the two countries' interests butt up against each other inside Syria, and relatedly Israel needs Russia's help on the issue of Iranian influence and expansion in the region.
So far the Israelis are said to be mulling the possibility of only providing nonlethal military aid - as they come under pressure from Washington.
According to details offered in the Axios report, "Israel last week sent Dror Shalom, the head of the political-military bureau at the Ministry of Defense, to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for a U.S.-led meeting on sending weapons to Ukraine."
SAUCE: https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/biden-white-house-pressures-israel-expand-military-aid-ukraine