From WN

The Trump administration approved the sale of anti-tank missiles to Ukraine on Friday as it continues to fight pro-Russian forces in the eastern part of the country, a move that has angered the Kremlin and signifies the U.S. government’s escalating involvement in the conflict, Newsweek reports.

The decision to sell the Javelin missiles also comes not long after the Trump administration approved a limited weapons sale between American manufacturers and Ukraine of Model M107A1 sniper systems, ammunition and associated equipment.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert spoke to the Wall Street Journal about the sale.

​“The United States has decided to provide Ukraine enhanced defensive capabilities as part of our effort to help Ukraine build its long-term defense capacity, to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to deter further aggression.” – Heather Nauert

The price of the sale was not revealed.

The Ukraine conflict has taken a backseat to other global issues in 2017, but it still rages on in a stalemate. Since it began in 2014, the combat in Ukraine has claimed more than 10,000 lives and displaced more than 1.6 million people, according to the United Nations.

There are roughly 40 armed clashes per day as a supposed ceasefire is habitually violated in a conflict that has stretched more than three years.

Russia has faced tough economic sanctions over its activities in Ukraine, such as the annexation of Crimea, but this has had little impact on its military actions.

John Herbst, who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, recently told Newsweek that providing Javelin anti-tank missiles to Kiev could significantly improve the situation for Ukraine, which had previously sought the weapons.

“The Russians have used tanks effectively to take Ukrainian territory and kill Ukrainians,” Herbst said. “Javelin anti-tank missiles would make it much more dangerous and difficult to do that.”

WN.com, Jim Berrie

For more on this story go to: https://article.wn.com/view/2017/12/27/US_Sends_TankKilling_Missiles_To_Fight_Russians_In_Ukraine/