By Joel Schectman and Brendan O’Brien

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The United States is committed to providing Ukraine with “the weapons it needs” to defend itself against Russia, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Sunday as Ukraine is seeking more military aid from the West.

Sullivan said the Biden administration would send more weapons to Ukraine to stop Russia from seizing more territory and targeting civilians, attacks Washington has called war crimes.

“We are going to provide Ukraine with the weapons it needs to push back the Russians and stop them from taking more towns and villages where they are committing these crimes,” Sullivan said on ABC News’ This Week.

Moscow has dismissed war crimes charges from Ukraine and Western countries.

Speaking later on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” Sullivan said the United States was “working around the clock to deliver our own weapons…and organizing and coordinating the delivery of weapons from many other countries. “.

“Weapons arrive every day,” Sullivan said, “including today.”

The United States has sent $1.7 billion in military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its invasion on February 24, the White House said last week.

Weapons shipments included defensive anti-aircraft Stinger and anti-tank Javelin missiles, as well as ammunition and body armor. But US and European leaders are being pressured by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to provide heavier weapons and equipment to engage Russia in the eastern region of the country, where Russia is expected to step up its military efforts.

On Friday, Ukrainian officials said more than 50 people were killed in a missile strike on a train station in the town of Kramatorsk in the Donetsk region, where thousands had gathered to evacuate.

The Russian invasion forced around a quarter of the population of 44 million from their homes, turned cities into rubble and killed or injured thousands.

Moscow has repeatedly denied targeting civilians in what it calls a “special operation” aimed at demilitarizing and “denazifying” its southern neighbor. Ukraine and Western nations dismissed this as a baseless pretext for war.

Russia on Saturday named a new general to lead its forces in Ukraine, Aleksandr Dvornikov, who had significant military experience in Syria.

In this context, Sullivan said he expects Dvornikov to allow more brutality against Ukraine’s civilian population.

Republican U.S. Representative Liz Cheney, speaking on CNN’s ‘State of the Nation’, urged the Biden administration to provide Ukraine with both offensive weapons such as tanks and planes and systems defensive like anti-tank and anti-aircraft missiles.

“I think we have to do whatever Zelenskiy says we need at this point, given the incredible battle they’ve had,” she said.

A CBS News poll released Sunday showed broad support among Americans for sending more weapons to Ukraine.

According to the poll, which was taken last week as news of Russian attacks on civilians unfolded, 72% of respondents favor sending more weapons, while 78% support economic sanctions against Russia.

(Reporting by Joel Schectman in Washington and Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Writing by James Oliphant; Editing by Mary Milliken and Lisa Shumaker)

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