Above photo: Getty Images.
US Cites ‘Sinking’ Stockpile.
Washington burned through air defense munitions while defending Israel from Iranian missiles and waging war against Yemen.
Officials in Kiev are seeking clarification on a US decision to halt a delivery of air defense munitions to Ukraine, which a White House spokesperson said was taken to “put America’s interests first.”
“We’re now checking with the Americans what’s really happening,” an anonymous Ukrainian official was cited as saying by the Washington Post on 2 July.
Other Ukrainian officials were “silent or declined to answer, and seem to have been caught by surprise by the news,” the report added.
The US Department of Defense announced halting shipments of air defense missiles and other precision munitions over concerns that stockpiles were running low.
The decision was led by the Pentagon’s policy chief, Elbridge Colby.
It was made “after a review of Pentagon munitions stockpiles, leading to concerns that the total number of artillery rounds, air defense missiles and precision munitions was sinking,” three informed sources told POLITICO on 1 July.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said on the same day that the US decision was “made to put America’s interests first following a DOD review of our nation’s military support and assistance to other countries across the globe.”
“The strength of the US Armed Forces remains unquestioned – just ask Iran,” she added.
The announcement came after US President Donald Trump signaled that he was considering supplying Ukraine with patriot missiles.
The military aid in question was initially promised by the administration of former US president Joe Biden. It included missiles for Patriot air defense systems, precision artillery rounds, and Hellfire missiles.
The decision to halt the shipments came as Ukraine faced a surge in Russian attacks. Over the weekend, Russian forces launched their biggest aerial attack on Ukraine since the start of the war in 2022, using nearly 500 drones and dozens of missiles.
The US military scrambled to defend Israel from Iranian ballistic missiles during the 12-day war in June, deploying troops, warships, and fighter jets to the region.
Five days into the Israel–Iran war, US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) said Israel was running low on interceptor missiles.
As Washington sent more missile defense assets to West Asia to defend Israel, an official told WSJ that “there is concern about the US burning through interceptors as well.”
During Trump’s campaign against Yemen weeks before the war on Iran, the US military burned through around $1 billion in munitions.
