(Dan Tri) – Ukraine faces a critical situation as aid from the West increasingly declines.
Ukrainian forces opened fire on Russian positions (Photo: AFP).
According to a report by the Financial Times, a UK-based news agency, on February 9, Ukraine’s front-line units were forced to use artillery shells alternately because the US supply had stopped and the European Union (EU)
Anonymous US and EU officials said Ukraine is facing a `severe` shortage of Western-caliber artillery shells.
`It’s a desperate situation on the front line for the Ukrainians, much worse than they’re letting on,` said a senior NATO diplomat.
The Financial Times said it had seen a letter from Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, complaining that the shortage of artillery shells was getting worse.
`The reality remains true, the side with the most ammunition is usually the winning side. The extremely important daily minimum requirement for Ukraine is 6,000 artillery shells per day, but the Ukrainian army can only fire about 1
A Pentagon official described the current situation as `a very grim scenario`, noting that without approval of additional aid by the US Congress, Washington cannot send more ammunition from its reserves.
The Pentagon’s stockpile of 155mm ammunition was depleted last summer, prompting President Joe Biden to send Ukraine some cluster munitions.
Meanwhile, the EU failed to meet its commitment to supply one million rounds of ammunition to Ukraine before March this year and has so far provided less than half of this number.
`It will not be easy for Europe to replace the US,` said a senior EU diplomat.
In an assessment report late last year, the US-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said that Western security support had helped Ukraine repel Russian attacks and regain part of its territory.
Therefore, ISW said: `The West maintaining aid is the only way to help Ukraine prevent Moscow from achieving its special military campaign goals.`
According to RT news agency (Russia), Ukraine has depended on the US and its allies for ammunition, weapons, equipment, and even the salaries of government employees.
However, the war dragged on while Ukraine’s counter-offensive failed to achieve a breakthrough, along with fluctuations in the political arena, causing the West’s willingness to provide aid to gradually decrease.
Western media such as Bloomberg and the Financial Times also recently published opinions saying that US officials and their allies seem to be starting to consider the scenario that Russia could win in Ukraine.
