Above photo: Alex Brandon/AP.
The US military wants to ensure it has sufficient weapons for a possible future war with China.
A memo written by the US Defense Department’s policy chief will allow US weapons and equipment earmarked for Ukraine to be diverted back into US stockpiles, CNN reported on 8 August.
According to four people who have read the memo, the policy represents “a dramatic shift” that could see billions of dollars of weapons redirected to shore up dwindling US supplies.
The memo was written last month by US Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby, but has become public ahead of US President Donald Trump’s planned meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The meeting is tentatively scheduled for next week.
Items desired by Ukraine’s military that are in short supply in the US include interceptor missiles, Patriot air defense systems, and artillery ammunition.
Russia has been carrying out near-daily missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian targets, which have strained Kiev’s defenses. In July, Moscow launched 6,443 drones and missiles into the country, according to the Ukrainian Air Force.
The Colby memo allows the Pentagon to divert weapons back into US stockpiles that were manufactured for Ukraine under a program known as the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI).
The USAI was established by Congress in 2016 to fund the regular purchase of weapons for Ukraine directly from US defense manufacturers.
The Senate recently funded the USAI with another $800 million as part of the annual budget for the Pentagon approved under the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
“But it’s unclear whether the weapons produced with that money will ultimately go to Ukraine under the new Pentagon policy,” CNN wrote, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The new policy comes as the White House seeks to shift the burden of arming Ukraine onto Europe and NATO, in part to preserve US stockpiles for a potential future war with China.
Meanwhile, the Defense Department has also been working with NATO to establish a funding mechanism for European countries to buy weapons to send to Ukraine.
The plan involves what would amount to a “bank account” for NATO members to deposit funds for US weapons purchases earmarked for Ukraine. The account is expected to be established with $10 billion in initial deposits.
Trump stated in a meeting last month with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte that Europe should pay for US weapons needed by Ukraine.
“We’ve made a deal where we are going to be sending them weapons, and they’re going to be paying for them. We’re not buying it, but we will manufacture it, and they’re going to be paying for it,” Trump explained.
