“We are serious about the rhetoric of members of Congress, but I have no plans to discuss this at the momentKirby said at a press conference.
He also added, he did not rule out such assistance, but it should be agreed with the Polish authorities. “If the Polish government wants to get additional support for humanitarian purposes, we will definitely take it seriouslyHappy Kirby.
He emphasized that soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division are still stationed in Poland on the border with Ukraine, but so far their assistance for refugee-related purposes has not been much needed.
His comment on the letter released Friday was by members of Congress from both parties, who pleaded, among other things, to send special ambulances to Ukraine and field hospitals to Poland at the border with Ukraine to treat Ukrainian refugees and soldiers. Members of Congress have said the Polish health system is overwhelmed with refugees in need of care. The letter was signed, inter alia, by Democrat Jason Crowe, who recently visited Poland as part of a congressional delegation.
Commenting on the military situation in Ukraine, Kirby noted that Russia continued to send additional forces to the east of the country, in preparation for a larger offensive. He added that Mariupol is still being bombed. He also stressed that it is clear that the east and south of the country are the main target of Russia now.
However, he emphasized that he did not know whether Russia – if it succeeded there – would not want to use the occupied territories as a platform for an additional offensive, for example against Kyiv.
