US to continue to provide Ukraine military assistance, including HIMARS

The US will continue to provide Ukraine with military assistance that country needs to defend itself, including HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, the White House said Wednesday.

The comments came from National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications, John Kirby, at a virtual news conference.

He said the US has "no information to confirm" Russia's claims that it destroyed two US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers in Ukraine's Donetsk region.

"And I would remind that we've seen similar reports from the Russians before," he said.

Stressing that Russia is "the one" who started the war, Kirby said: "We are and will continue to provide them (Ukrainians) the kinds of systems and assistance that they need to defend themselves."

"That has included HIMARS in the past, and it could very well include more HIMARS going forward," said Kirby.

He said the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) have proven "very effective" for Ukraine. "We're going to continue to support Ukraine with weapon systems."

The US will continue to provide security assistance to Ukraine "in coming days and weeks as well," said Kirby.

Russia said Tuesday that two US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launchers were destroyed by Russian strikes near Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region.

"During a counter-battery fight near the city of Kramatorsk, positions were opened and two launchers of the US-made HIMARS multiple rocket launcher systems were destroyed," according to the Russian Defense Ministry.

ERDOGAN'S TALKS WITH PUTIN, ZELENSKYY

Asked about Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's telephone conversations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy scheduled for Wednesday, Kirby praised Turkish efforts in Ukraine, specifically around the grain initiative.

He said Türkiye is a "NATO ally" and "The Turks, under his (Erdogan's) leadership, have been really central to the effort to continue to get that grain out of Ukraine."

"President (Joe) Biden has made this point specifically to President Erdogan about his leadership with respect to the green initiative," he said.

"We'll have to see how the sides talk about what they talked about," he said regarding the phone conversation.