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The US is halting shipments of some air defence missiles and other weapons previously promised to Kyiv amid concerns that its own stockpiles have declined too much, US officials said.
Certain munitions were previously promised to Ukraine under the Biden administration to support its defences. However, the administration appears to have revised some of those decisions due to concerns for US interests.
“This decision was made to put America’s interests first following a review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement.
“The strength of the United States Armed Forces remains unquestioned — just ask Iran,” Kelly quipped.
The Pentagon review determined stocks were too low on some previously pledged weapons, so pending shipments of certain items won’t be sent, according to AP.
The US Department of Defence did not provide details on which specific weapons were being held back.
“America’s military has never been more ready and more capable,” spokesperson Sean Parnell said, adding that the major tax cut and spending package moving through US Congress “ensures that our weapons and defence systems are modernised to protect against 21st century threats for generations to come.”
The halt of some weapons from the US could be a big blow to Ukraine, as Moscow has significantly intensified its aerial strikes at Ukraine recently, with the drone and missile attacks and bombardments becoming more frequent and more intense.
Russia launched a record 5,438 drones against Ukraine across the month of June, according to the data from Ukraine’s Air Force, or about a quarter more than Moscow’s previous barrage of 4,198 UAVs in March.
Can Germany step in?
Washington has repeatedly pressed for allies to provide air defence systems to Ukraine and step in with more weapons supplies.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said on Tuesday that the decision to supply Taurus cruise missiles to Ukraine remains under consideration. However, he stressed that Germany will not become a party to the war.
“It has always been clear that if we supply the Taurus, this weapon will be used not by German soldiers, but by Ukrainians,” Merz told domestic press.
He pointed out that the same principle applies to other cruise missiles already supplied to Ukraine by the UK and France.
Taurus is very similar to the Franco-British SCALP and Storm Shadow missiles in terms of range, speed and payload.
The key difference lies in the warhead design, as Taurus can be programmed to detonate after penetrating fortified targets, such as bunkers and reinforced facilities — the primary reason why Kyiv has been requesting the German-made missiles from Berlin since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in early 2022.
Additional sources • AP
