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Transcript/ScriptUSAGM SHARE
((PLAYBOOK SLUG: US-Russia-Ukraine June 1
HEADLINE: Blinken: Ukraine Pledges Medium-Range Rockets Will Not Strike Russian Territory
TEASER: US providing Ukraine with advanced rocket systems to help it gain negotiating position to end invasion, US secretary of state says
PUBLISHED AT: 06/01/2022 at 6:47 pm
BYLINE: Cindy Saine
CONTRIBUTOR:
DATELINE:
VIDEOGRAPHER:
PRODUCER:
SCRIPT EDITORS: MAS, Reifenrath, djones
VIDEO SOURCE (S): MRT State, AFP, AP, Reuters
PLATFORMS (mark with X): WEB __ TV _x_ RADIO __
TRT: 2:09
VID APPROVED BY: mia
TYPE: TVPKG
EDITOR NOTES:))
((INTRO))
[[President Joe Biden has announced that the United States will send advanced rocket systems to Ukraine to help Kyiv resist Russian forces in the eastern part of the country. As VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports, Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Ukraine has assured the U.S. it will not use the systems to hit targets on Russian territory.]]
((Video: AFP V000_32BK89K: Joe and Jill Biden exit Marine One onto the WH lawn, they walk towards the White House, Biden NAT POP))
((NARRATOR))
President Joe Biden had resisted urgent appeals from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to send rocket systems that would enable Ukrainian forces to safely strike Russian targets from a distance. Biden said this on Monday:
((NAT POP President Joe Biden))
"We're not going to send to Ukraine rocket systems that can strike into Russia.”
((Video: AFP V001_32BN3J7”:recent B-roll of destroyed Ukrainian city-use the parts without text written over it, OVER TO: AFP V000_32B644Q: 6. Tracking shot Russian armoured vehicles and civilian cars on a road))
((NARRATOR))
But with Russia advancing on Ukrainian cities in the east, Biden has had a change of heart, explaining in an op-ed in The New York Times that the U.S. will provide Kyiv with more advanced rocket systems and munitions that will enable it to strike key targets on the battlefield in Ukraine with more precision.
The medium-range rocket systems can travel about 70 kilometers.
((Video: MRT Blinken and Stoltenberg B-roll, over to Blinken SOT))
Asked about the danger of escalating the Ukraine-Russian war, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had this to say:
((Antony Blinken, US Secretary of State))
“Specifically, with regard to weapon systems being provided, the Ukrainians have given us assurances that they will not use these systems against targets on Russian territory.”
((Video: AFP V000_32BP477: Russian FM Lavrov))
((NARRATOR))
On Wednesday, the Kremlin accused the United States of “adding fuel to the fire” by supplying Ukraine with advanced weapons systems.
((Video: MRT B-ROLL AND Stoltenberg soundbite))
But NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russian President Vladimir Putin was the one who started all the death and destruction almost 100 days ago.
((Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General))
"President Putin made a strategic mistake. He totally underestimated the strength and the will and the ability of Ukrainian people and Ukrainian armed forces to defend themselves and underestimated the unity of NATO, NATO allies and partners to support Ukraine."
((Video: AFP V000_32BN7QG: German Chancellor Scholz walks over to the podium, speaks, cutaways of members of parliament listening to the speech))
((NARRATOR))
Also on Wednesday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced that Berlin will provide Ukraine with a modern air defense system capable of shielding a "large city from Russian air raids.” He has come under criticism for being slow to help arm Kyiv.
((Cindy Saine, VOA News))
NewsML Media TopicsConflict, War and Peace
NetworkVOA
Embargo DateJune 1, 2022 18:56 EDT
Brand / Language ServiceVoice of America - English
