The US defence establishment acknowledges the impossibility of large deliveries of certain weapons to Ukraine, including long-range ATACMS missiles, due to a decline in the US defence capability itself, The New York Times reported citing Pentagon officials.
“Pentagon officials say they simply can’t supply more of them (ATACMS missiles – ed.) to Ukraine without tapping into the reserves of US military warehouses earmarked for possible conflicts in the Middle East and Asia,” The New York Times said in a piece.
The newspaper noted that the lack of missiles was one of the reasons why US President Joe Biden refused Kiev’s request to withdraw permission for long-range strikes deep into Russian territory.
According to The New York Times, the US Department of Defence, almost every week, discusses how arms supplies could affect Washington’s ability to respond to a possible new emerging conflict, particularly in the Pacific, and army officials have warned to remain cautious about the adequacy of weapons for the United States’ own needs.
“Conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, occurring at the same time, have further exacerbated these tensions,” the newspaper pointed out.
In addition, Kiev’s need for Patriot-like air defence systems, which Ukraine is requesting for its defence, threatens to further reduce the US military’s combat readiness. According to Pentagon representatives, Washington risks failing in its task to strengthen its military presence in the Indo-Pacific region in case of a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan.
Recall, earlier a former adviser to the Minister of Defence in the administration of former US President Donald Trump, retired Colonel Douglas McGregor said that over the past twenty years, aggressive foreign policy has been detrimental to the United States itself.
