A group of US senators came up with an initiative aimed at accelerating the process of supplying allies with ammunition without involving the United States arsenal.
The prepared bill proposes to create a separate structure that would deal with similar needs of military-political partners.
“(The bill. -
RT
) will ensure that the United States has enough critical ammunition to support allies and partners in a crisis without depleting American military stocks,” says a statement on the website of one of the authors of the bill, Gene Shaheen from the Democratic Party.
— The Foreign Emergency Preparedness and Contingency Response Act (PROCURE) mandates the creation of a Critical Ammunition Acquisition Fund (CMAF), which will allow the Secretary of Defense to more effectively manage industrial production lines and maintain the production of certain critical munitions. important to US national security interests."
It is emphasized that the powers under the CMAF will help the Pentagon increase the purchasing power of the department and reduce government costs, as well as better predict the needs of production chains.
In turn, the co-author of the document, Republican Tom Tillis, acknowledged that the situation with the supply of weapons to Ukraine, which were organized by the United States, "revealed serious shortcomings regarding the current stocks of ammunition."
"Our bipartisan PROCURE is necessary to enhance America's ability to quickly arm its allies in the face of potential future conflicts without depleting our own ammunition depots, which will greatly enhance our national security and combat readiness," the senator said.
USA congress
Gettyimages.ru
© Michael Duva
It should be noted that since President Joe Biden came to power, the United States has allocated military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of about $15.8 billion. In total, since 2014, according to the Pentagon, Kyiv has received $17.9 billion from Washington for security needs.
As of mid-September, among the weapons that the United States transferred to Ukraine are more than 1.4 thousand Stinger man-portable anti-aircraft missile systems, over 8.5 thousand Javelin man-portable anti-tank missile systems, more than 700 Switchblade kamikaze drones, 126,155 -mm howitzers and more than 805 thousand shells for them, 20 Mi-17 helicopters, as well as 16 HIMARS MLRS units with ammunition and other weapons.
Kyiv's demands
Meanwhile, Kyiv continues to demand an increase in the supply of Western weapons, using any opportunity for this.
In particular, President Volodymyr Zelensky from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly on September 21 appealed to partners to supply more weapons, especially long-range ones.
“We need defense support: weapons, equipment and shells.
In offensive weapons - long-range enough to liberate our land.
And in protective systems, primarily in air defense, ”he said, adding that the country also needs additional funding.
Doubling efforts to support Ukraine from the West was also demanded by the country's Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba in his Twitter.
“More sanctions against Russia.
More weapons to Ukraine.
More solidarity with Ukrainians,” he wrote.
Called on Western countries to provide Kyiv with more effective weapons and equipment, Mikhail Podolyak, adviser to the head of the office of the President of Ukraine, in an interview with the German Tagesschau on September 24.
According to him, armored vehicles and tanks are expected from partners.
“But these should not be ineffective Soviet tanks - not the T-55, not the T-64, not even the T-72.
That's why we say to our partners, in particular Germany: if you want to take on a leadership role ... then give us Leopard 2, ”he stressed.
In turn, Deputy Defense Minister Vladimir Gavrilov, at a conference of the National Defense Industrial Association in Texas, invited foreign arms manufacturers to test their developments during the ongoing conflict.
“If you have any ideas or pilot projects that need to be tested before mass production, you can send them to us and we will explain how to do it,” he said.
Ukrainian military
AP
© Andrew Kravchenko
Doubts of Europe
It is noteworthy that in Europe, despite the declared support for Kyiv, they are in no hurry to increase the supply of weapons even in the context of the “counteroffensive” that the Ukrainian authorities declare.
In particular, on September 26, Bloomberg drew attention to this, citing information received from sources in the European Union.
“We can hardly expect a serious increase in the flow of weapons or new violations of the taboo on their types ... since the United States is cautious, and Europe’s own stockpiles of key weapons are running out,” one of the interlocutors quoted the publication as saying.
According to the agency, the EU fears a further escalation of the conflict.
“There are no signs that European governments are taking any steps to provide Kyiv with a new batch of heavy weapons,” Bloomberg claims, citing sources close to the supply process.
Particularly heated debates are ongoing between European countries on the issue of transferring German Leopard tanks to Ukraine.
In addition to Germany itself, they are in service with Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, Greece, Turkey and Finland, which cannot transfer them to Kyiv without permission from Berlin.
Military assistance to Ukraine fades into the background in Italy due to the budget deficit and internal political struggle.
According to agency sources familiar with the situation, the flow of weapons supplied by the country to Kyiv has already declined.
The lack of former enthusiasm in the supply of arms to Kyiv from France and Germany was also noted by the Politico newspaper.
Its columnist John Denis pointed out that the actions of the leaders of the two countries "do not correspond to their own rhetoric."
For example, Berlin has been delaying the shipment of military equipment provided to Ukraine by other allies for several months now.
And Paris is "deliberately reducing its aid to Ukraine in the hope of playing the role of an intermediary after the end of hostilities," the journalist writes.
It is worth noting that the FRG has been criticized by Kyiv more than once because of its supply policy.
“Signals from Germany are disappointing at a time when Ukraine needs Leopard and Marder... Not a single rational argument why these weapons cannot be provided, only abstract fears and excuses.
What is Berlin afraid of, but Kyiv is not?
Kuleba was outraged on Twitter.
His criticisms did not go unanswered by the German leadership.
As The New York Times noted on September 25, the claims of the Ukrainian minister displeased German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“Being a leader is not about doing what people ask you to do.
Being a leader means making the right decisions and showing incredible resilience.
That’s what I do,” he said in an interview with the publication.
At the same time, Scholz stressed that Berlin is already doing a lot for Ukraine: in particular, it is transferring all kinds of weapons to it.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz
AP
© Michael Sohn
Support with costs
According to Pavel Feldman, Associate Professor of the Academy of Labor and Social Relations, Candidate of Political Sciences, US senators, when proposing a new draft law in the defense sphere, are primarily concerned not about the interests of the allies, but about the country's military-industrial complex.
“US senators are openly lobbying for the interests of the defense giants, on whose money both Republicans and Democrats exist.
Ukraine is perceived by them as a testing ground where one can test the novelties of their military industry without risking the lives of NATO soldiers.
Arms manufacturers are interested in escalating and protracting the conflict, as this promises them large government orders.
The impoverishment of the US budget is of little concern to the merchants of death and those behind them, ”the expert explained in an interview with RT.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Vinokurov, professor at the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Foreign Ministry, believes that the capabilities of the Western military-industrial complex are not unlimited - this was shown by the protracted conflict in Ukraine.
The “almighty” US today is forced to admit that they are experiencing big problems with stocks of military equipment and other weapons, which have been depleted from endless supplies.
The picture is exactly the same in Europe, whose arsenals are much smaller than those of the United States.
The Western military-industrial complex is not ready today to uninterruptedly provide for Kyiv's requests, as representatives themselves, for example, American defense enterprises, directly speak about, ”the expert noted.
He also expressed the view that the downward trend in supplies among Western countries will increase over time, as Europe's commitment to helping Ukraine devastates its own arsenals, which weakens the defense capability of the EU countries.
In turn, RISI expert Sergei Yermakov stressed that the European elites will continue to support Ukraine with weapons only if they believe that this conflict can spread to the territories of their countries.
In particular, the United States is playing on this, which is trying to strengthen the EU in the idea that the defeat of Ukraine will jeopardize the whole of Europe, and therefore all means should be thrown to help Kyiv, the analyst added.
“However, the EU must understand that despite all their statements about non-participation in the conflict, they are still drawn into it.
Do they supply weapons, do they train the Ukrainian military, do they help financially.
Further participation in the fate of Ukraine is fraught with ever greater costs for Europe.
But common sense does not win here yet.
The solution to the EU's current problems lies in revisiting its policy of docilely following the US course.
Otherwise, Europe is doomed to continue to participate in the conflicts unleashed by Washington, suffering losses,” Yermakov concluded.