U.S. media: Aiding Ukraine is so expensive that NATO can't take it anymore?

　　China News Service, November 28. The New York Times reported on the 26th local time that the Ukrainian crisis has lasted for more than nine months. Right now, NATO, which provides armaments to Ukraine and is constantly "fighting", is in an embarrassing situation of insufficient ammunition.

　　NATO officials said that the Ukrainian army consumes thousands of shells every day, "a day in Ukraine is equivalent to a month in Afghanistan."

According to the New York Times, this has triggered a "crazy scramble" for the West to both provide Ukraine with needed supplies and replenish NATO's stockpile.

Among the 30 NATO countries, 20 countries are almost unable to provide military aid to Ukraine.

Data map: The military aid provided by the United States to Ukraine.

　　"In Afghanistan, NATO forces may only fire 300 rounds of artillery shells per day, and there is nothing to worry about in terms of air defense; in contrast, Ukraine fires thousands of shells per day, but it still cannot meet the needs of air defense." NATO officials said.

　　Camille Grande, a defense expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said, "A day in Ukraine is equivalent to a month or more in Afghanistan."

　　Now, Western countries are looking for Soviet-era weaponry that Ukraine can put into service immediately, such as S-300 anti-aircraft missiles and T-72 tanks.

They also tried to buy ammunition from South Korea and other countries to "fill up" the inventory of weapons and equipment sent to Ukraine.

　　NATO is even discussing investing in old arsenals in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Bulgaria to re-produce Soviet-standard 152mm and 122mm artillery shells for use by the Ukrainian army.

　　NATO also faces obstacles in securing Ukrainian weapons and ammunition.

　　For example, the specifications of artillery shells produced by NATO countries are different, so some advanced artillery provided to Ukraine can only use shells produced by the weapon-manufacturing country, and shells produced by other NATO countries cannot play a substitute role.

On June 18, 2022, Ukrainian soldiers opened fire on Russian positions using M777 howitzers provided by the United States.

　　The report also said that a NATO official referred to the complex (weapons) system Ukraine now faces as a "NATO zoo" because of the widespread use of weapons systems such as the German "Cheetah" air defense missile system and the French "Sidewinder" surface-to-air missile system. Use animals to name them.

　　In addition, the "New York Times" stated that because Ukraine uses weapons provided by multiple countries, it faces difficulties in supply and maintenance.

　　Some NATO officials pointed out that in February this year, the stockpiles of many NATO countries had only reached about half of what they should be.

　　Those NATO countries that have provided Ukraine with large quantities of weapons are now starting to feel the pinch.

For example, France provided Ukraine with at least 18 "Caesar" artillery pieces, and set up a fund of 200 million euros for Ukraine to purchase French-made weapons, but France was unwilling to give any more.

Data map: "Hippocampus" high-mobility multiple rocket launcher system.

　　"New York Times" statistics, as of now, NATO countries have provided Ukraine with weapons and equipment worth about 40 billion U.S. dollars, which is equivalent to France's annual defense budget.

　　A NATO official said that 20 of the 30 NATO countries have almost run out of military aid to Ukraine.

However, he suggested that the remaining 10 countries, especially the stronger member states, including France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands, should continue to support Ukraine.

　　Mark Cancion, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that Ukraine wants to acquire the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), a surface-to-surface missile capable of reaching the Russian mainland.

The United States has so far refused to provide ATACMS to Ukraine because it is worried that the missile will be used to attack targets in Russia, triggering an escalation of the situation.

　　Ukraine also hopes that Western countries will supply advanced fighter planes and tanks, but these weapons are so complex that relevant personnel must receive a year or more of training to learn to use and maintain them.

Ukraine's desire to improve its air defense capabilities is also difficult to realize, because after the Cold War, most of NATO's short-range air defense systems have been deactivated, and it will take up to two years to rebuild them.