"We Have Been Committed Since Day One," U.S. Says, Amid Questions On Why Its Jets Scramble To Help Israel, But Not Ukraine

The Biden administration on Monday defended its Ukraine strategy following last weekend’s coordinated response to Iran in which Western jets knocked missiles and “Shahed” drones out of Israeli sky, something that Ukraine had long been asking for itself as Russia hurls hundreds of missiles at its cities, TURAN’s Washington correspondent reports.

“We have been committed to Ukraine since day one,” State Department’s Spokesperson Matthew Miller told a daily briefing when asked by TURAN why did American and European jets scramble to help Israel, but not Ukraine. “… Our record bears that out when you look at the international coalition that we have assembled to respond to Russia’s aggression, to hold Russia accountable through sanctions and export control measures and, again, through the provision of weapon systems,” Miller went on to add.

Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones at Israel last weekend, nearly all of which were shot down by the U.S., the U.K., France and Jordan, along with Israel.

“European skies could have received the same level of protection long ago if Ukraine had received similar full support from its partners in intercepting drones and missiles,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday in a post on X. “Terror must be defeated completely and everywhere, not more in some places and less in others.”

“Israel is not a NATO member, so no action, such as triggering Article 5, was required. And no one was dragged into the war. They simply contributed to the protection of human life.” Zelenskyy went on to add.

“Shaheds” in the skies above Ukraine sound identical to those over the Middle East, Zelenskyy emphasized. “The impact of ballistic missiles, if they are not intercepted, is the same everywhere.”

State Department’s Miller told TURAN’s correspondent that the U.S. commitment to Ukraine has included significant provision of missile defense to allow the Ukrainian military to shoot down drones and missiles and attacks on the Ukrainian people.  

“That is something that this administration has committed to with billions and billions of dollars in weapon systems, and it’s not just American weapon systems, but we have worked to source air defense systems from around the world to help defend the Ukrainian people against Russian attacks,” Miller said.

The Western allies have provided Ukraine with a few Patriot missile defense systems, and Ukraine has publicly said it can shoot down Russian missiles and drones 90 percent of the time. That number has dropped significantly during recent large strikes due to the delay in Western aid to Ukraine.

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