Ukrainian soldiers fire a Pion artillery system at Russian positions near Bakhmut, Donetsk region on December 15, 2022. (AP/Libkos photo)
According to the New York Times, US stockpiles are running low and US arms manufacturers cannot keep up with Ukraine’s munitions consumption. So the Pentagon turned to two alternatives for ammunition support to Ukraine during its war with Russia: One stockpile in South Korea and one in Israel.
Initially, the two US allies agreed not to send ammunition to Ukraine. Israel does not want to damage its relationship with Moscow. South Korea is more willing to help Ukraine. However, according to the New York Times, “the South Korean government does not want artillery shells marked ROK (South Korea) to appear in Ukraine because of South Korean arms export rules”.
About half of the 300,000 rounds from the US stockpile in Israel will go to Ukraine, Pentagon officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity. In fact, the US has already shipped these weapons to Europe and they will be delivered to Ukraine via Poland.
The US weapons stockpile in Israel was established by this country from the Arab-Israeli War in 1973, when Washington opened the air bridge to provide weapons to Tel Aviv at that time.
After Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine in February last year, the US and its allies continuously pumped weapons and aid to Ukraine. Washington vowed to continue collecting enough artillery shells to supply Ukraine by 2023.
Russia has repeatedly warned that the US supply of weapons to Ukraine does not help the war end soon, but even causes more suffering for the Ukrainian people.