MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 05th December, 2022) The United States is stepping up efforts to replenish the weapons stocks depleted by supplies to Ukraine, Politico reported on Monday, citing the Pentagon and industrial officials.
"High-end conflict consumes a lot of munitions and a lot of weaponry. We are also looking at the supply chain limitations. We haven't got this figured out just yet," Mike McCord, Pentagon's top budget official, told Politico.
US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth noted a great urgency regarding the supply of ammunition to Ukraine.
"There's a lot of urgency. Congress is sending billions of Dollars to the Department of Defense, and we are turning that around and getting that on contract � I would say two to three times faster than we normally do," Wormuth was quoted as saying by the news outlet.
The US defense official cited recent deals for tens of thousands of 155mm artillery rounds that Ukrainians used almost immediately after they arrived. By 2025, the US will be able to reach the figure of 40,000 such shells per month, Wormuth noted.
According to Politico, among other things, US officials are considering creating a fund for the Pentagon to buy versions of weapons that can be quickly transferred or sold to partners, including Taiwan, in the event of a conflict.
On Friday, Financial Times reported that there was a growing concern among Western countries supporting Ukraine about the need to increase the production of ammunition amid depletion of stocks. The step will also serve to demonstrate to US adversaries, such as China, the ability of allies to produce enough weapons to defend themselves.
Last week, Polish Ambassador to NATO Tomasz Szatkowski said that the warehouses of military equipment of NATO countries were emptying due to assistance to Ukraine.
Western countries have been ramping up their military support for Kiev since February 24, when Russia began a military operation in Ukraine, following calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. In April, Moscow sent a note to NATO member states condemning their military assistance to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any arms shipments on Ukrainian territory would be "legitimate targets" for Russian forces.
