The Western Allies are tirelessly pumping weapons of all kinds into Ukraine. First and foremost the US, which wants to support Kiev “as long as necessary”. The government led by President Joe Biden (80) has already approved $ 68 billion to help Ukraine economically, humanitarianly and militarily. On Wednesday, Congress asked for an additional $37.7 billion, of which $21 billion was for arms shipments.
From a military point of view, however, the US can hardly afford the massive shipments of arms and ammunition. Because since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Americans – like their European allies – have disarmed themselves drastically.
As the “New York Times” writes, last summer the Ukrainians fired 6,000 to 7,000 artillery shells in the Donbass region alone – every day. According to the newspaper, more weapons and ammunition are used in this war than at any time since World War II.
Much of Ukraine’s equipment comes from the West – the lion’s share comes from the US. These included the M777 howitzers, 142 of which were delivered along with over 800,000 matching 155mm artillery shells, or the 20 Himars rocket launcher systems.
Western arms shortages
However, US supplies and production capacity are limited for both weapon systems, writes “NZZ”. According to security expert Mark Cancian, the US should soon start withdrawing howitzers from its own troops if it is to continue to support Ukraine at the same level. Ammunition is also running out.
The US military is not only looking at Ukraine, but also at the Pacific. In order to respond to military escalation, such as a Chinese attack on Taiwan, the US must always keep a minimum amount of ammunition in stock. In the case of these bullets, that seems to be possible soon.
According to the “NZZ” there are also bottlenecks with the Himars. The 18 other promised systems have yet to be produced. It will be months or even years before they arrive at the front. Stocks of the Javelin anti-tank missiles and the Stinger anti-aircraft missiles are also running out.
‘Countries must start producing necessary weapons’
This presents the West with a dilemma: should it empty its own weapons caches in favor of Ukraine – or stop military aid to the Eastern European country? Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba (41) proposed a way out to Politico: “The NATO countries must start producing the necessary weapons today.” If that doesn’t happen, he warned, “we won’t be able to win. It’s that simple.”
And further: “The last time I attended a NATO ministerial meeting, I said three words: arms, arms and arms,” Kuleba recalls. This time he has specific requirements. Ukraine needs weapons for air defense and tanks, among other things. Kuleba met several foreign ministers from NATO countries on Wednesday evening. As he said on Twitter, he was promised further military and humanitarian aid there.
But the reality is different: Western countries are hesitant to ramp up their arms production, according to the New York Times. Instead, according to US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (60), they want to help Ukraine create Soviet systems that the country already has.
Chiara Schlenz
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
