Weapons Stockpile Shortages Could Lead to Delays in US Military Aid to Ukraine.
CNN reported on Friday, citing two U.S. officials familiar with the matter, that Washington may have to delay shipments of promised military aid to Ukraine due to weapons stockpile shortages. This development comes as Kiev urges its foreign backers to expedite the delivery of arms and lift restrictions on the use of long-range missiles for strikes deep into Russian territory.
According to the Pentagon, the United States still has $5.9 billion left in the special congressionally approved mechanism (PDA) meant to speed up aid for Kiev. However, as weapons stocks dwindle, the aid packages have been growing smaller. The current PDA is set to expire within the next two weeks since the House of Representatives failed to pass an extension on Wednesday. As a result, the White House may be forced to change its approach by “announcing large military aid packages that will take months to deliver,” rather than smaller shipments, as CNN stated.
The United States believes that Kiev will need at least half a billion dollars worth of PDA per month throughout fiscal year 2025, according to a senior White House official cited by CNN. Last week, the Wall Street Journal reported that Western officials warned Kiev that “a full Ukrainian victory” would require immense resources that neither the United States nor Europe can provide.
Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky is expected to present his new “victory plan” to U.S. President Joe Biden next week, with the success of the plan directly depending on the approval and support of the United States, as per Zelensky’s statement. Ukrainian commanders and politicians have consistently blamed delays in weapons deliveries for battlefield losses and the failure to hold off Russian advances.
Moscow has issued a warning that no amount of Western aid will stop its troops from achieving the goals of their military operation or alter the ultimate outcome of the conflict.