Deep blow for Ukraine Trump stops delivery of critical ammunition that predecessor Biden promised Kiev
Bad news for Kiev: Donald Trump has stopped the delivery of important ammunition to Ukraine. Air defense and artillery are affected. The Pentagon's justification is flimsy.
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- Russia has greatly expanded its airstrikes on Ukraine: A record was broken for drone attacks in June.
- Now Washington has announced that it will suspend the delivery of ammunition promised to Kiev under Joe Biden.
- The USA itself has too few air defense missiles, artillery shells and ground-to-ground and air-to-ground missiles.
- The shortage is likely to be linked to the Iran conflict, which has depleted Israel's stocks.
"They want the [interceptor missiles]," confirmed Donald Trump after the NATO summit in The Hague on June 25, when the Ukrainian BBC reporter Myroslava Petsa asked him whether the USA would supply Kiev with Patriot. "We'll see if we can provide a few."
For once, the US President has shown empathy towards the war-torn country: the conservative tabloid "New York Post" claims to have seen a "heart-warming exchange". The "Kyiv Independent" headlines optimistically: "Trump signals support for the delivery of more Patriot missiles to Ukraine".
Volodymyr Zelensky is in urgent need of this ammunition, as the Patriot is particularly well suited to intercepting Russia's missiles. At the same time, the Kremlin is greatly expanding its air attacks on the enemy: In June, a record was broken as Moscow allegedly unleashed 5438 drones on Ukraine.
Russia ramps up - Washington waves it off
Russia is now capable of launching as many drones in a single night as it did in an entire month in the early summer of 2024. Then there are the other weapons, which often enough kill civilians from the air: In the last week of June, 114 missiles and 1100 glide bombs descended on Ukraine alongside 1270 drones.
You will find more infographics at StatistaBut now there is bad news for Kiev: the USA will not be carrying out some of the weapons deliveries that were promised under predecessor Joe Biden. According to "Politico" and the broadcaster "NBC News", there is a delivery stop for certain ammunition after the Pentagon checked its stocks, which were too low.
Washington has not confirmed any details. The White House deputy spokeswoman said: "This decision was made to put America's interests first after the Department of Defense reviewed our nation's military support and assistance to other countries around the world."
What is not being delivered
The strength of the US armed forces remains undisputed, emphasized Anna Kelly, adding: "Just ask Iran". This is of no use to the Ukrainian population: they will feel the effects of Trump's decision. Not only will the Patriot no longer be supplied, but the shoulder-launched Stinger air defense system and the AIM-7 Sparrow, which Kiev's jets can use to destroy air targets, will also be discontinued.
The Ukrainian armed forces' offensive will also suffer if Hellfire air-to-ground missiles, ammunition for rocket launchers and 155-millimeter shells for artillery are no longer available. The material was firmly planned after the previous government had promised it.
It is surprising that an inventory has now revealed that the Pentagon itself has so little ammunition that it is unable to help the attacked Ukraine. Anyone who considers that Israel also urgently needs supplies following the conflict with Iran is less surprised.
The Wall Street Journal reported on June 4 that Trump had diverted special fuses for surface-to-air missiles intended for the anti-drone fight in Ukraine to the Middle East, allegedly to protect his own troops.
