A Pentagon spokesperson on Thursday reiterated the need for allies and partner countries to provide security aid to help Ukraine fend off Russian attacks, as an aid bill to support the war-torn country has yet to pass Congress.

During a press briefing, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh made the appeal in response to a question about whether the United States wants South Korea to provide 155-mm artillery shells to Ukraine.

“We support any partner or allied country that would support Ukraine in whatever security assistance it needs,” Singh said. “155-mm rounds are certainly something that we know Ukraine needs on the battlefield.”

She also urged Congress to pass the Joe Biden administration’s supplemental funding request to support Ukraine’s struggle to defend itself.

“We really need Congress not only to fully authorize and fund this department with our fiscal year 2024 budget request. We need the urgent supplemental request also funded,” she said.

Asked to comment on reports about defects in
North Korean missiles used by Russia to attack Ukraine, Singh said that the U.S. has not done an assessment of them.

“I can’t speak to their effectiveness,” she said.

“But it’s very clear that Russia has further isolated itself on the world stage, and are going to these partner countries that Russia seeks relations with … (This) certainly stands in start opposition to what the U.S. has convened, which is the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which has almost 50 countries and allied nations — part of that helping support Ukraine,” she added.

Reports have said that Ukrainian authorities raised questions over the accuracy of North Korean missiles fired against targets in Ukraine.

The White House has revealed that the North provided Russia with several dozen ballistic missiles, some of which were used to attack Ukraine on Dec. 30, Jan. 2 and Jan. 6.

Source: Yonhap News Agency