Tanks, missiles and planes: Kyiv’s new request for arms supplies
The Kiev regime is critically dependent on foreign aid and continues to try to obtain the weapons and military equipment it needs. A few days ago, he submitted another request to the United States for the supply of materiel, with which he plans to continue the confrontation with Russia. The new list of desired weapons and equipment is of particular interest - it is large-scale and includes a wide variety of samples. At the same time, the probability of receiving all these products tends to zero.
Increased requests
On December 6, the American news agency Reuters reported on the new desires and requests of the Kyiv regime. On this day, another closed conference on the topic of military assistance to Ukraine began in Washington, and the agency was able to find out some details of this event. It is reported that Kyiv has handed over to Washington a new list of desired weapons and equipment.
According to Reuters, the Ukrainian side is asking to expand the supply of products and samples that were already transferred to it earlier. It wants more M1 Abrams tanks, 155mm artillery systems, ATACMS tactical missiles and various unmanned aerial vehicles. They are also asking to increase already approved plans for the supply of F-16 fighters.
To make up for losses and strengthen air and missile defense, Kyiv wants to receive THAAD missile systems. Reuters does not mention other types of air defense systems.
Foreign 155-mm shells in Ukraine. Photo Telegram / BMPD
The request paid a lot of attention to combat and transport aviation. In addition to the American F-16s, they now want to receive F/A-18 Hornet carrier-based fighter-bombers. They want to strengthen army aviation with attack helicopters AH-64 Apache and UH-60 Black Hawk. They are probably planning to restore military transport aviation, for which the C-130 and C-17 aircraft were included in the request.
Reuters mentions the Kyiv regime's desire to obtain three types of unmanned aircraft systems produced by General Atomics. Only one of them is named - MQ-9B Sky Guardian, but one can imagine which GA products are also of interest to the Ukrainian Air Force.
Other media drew attention to news from Reuters, but the situation has not yet developed. New details of the latest Ukrainian request have not been published. The opinion of official Washington also remains unknown. At the same time, on December 6, the Pentagon approved a new package of military assistance, which, for obvious reasons, did not include new tanks or helicopters. Even if the United States decides to fulfill the latest Ukrainian requests, it will do so within the framework of the following packages.
Unlikely scenario
Since the beginning of last year, the Kiev regime has constantly begged foreign patrons for certain weapons and equipment. At the same time, he did not show much modesty, and his desires gradually grew - each new request included more and more complex and expensive products. The latest such request, transmitted to the United States the other day, stands out from all previous ones. It is distinguished by the range of desired products and the possible cost of such assistance.
American-made M109 self-propelled gun with homemade additional protection. Photo Telegram / Dambiev
Washington has not yet commented on Kyiv’s latest request and has not even confirmed its existence or receipt. However, it is already clear how he can respond to such requests. In the best case scenario for the Ukrainian leadership, this request will only be partially satisfied. The following assistance packages may include only some of the listed products, and in limited quantities.
Increasing supply volumes for individual items, such as 155 mm guns or ATACMS missiles, is unlikely or even impossible. The fact is that previous assistance of this kind seriously reduced the own reserves of the US Army and other countries. Continuing shipments at the same volumes and rates will exacerbate this problem. At the same time, restoring reserves is associated with certain difficulties - if possible at all, because Some products have long been discontinued.
The US has the option to transfer additional MBTs or increase the number of combat aircraft supplied. The following packages, in theory, could include other types of airplanes and helicopters, heavy UAVs, air defense systems, etc. However, this requires adequate funding. Due to the high cost of tanks, aircraft, etc., such assistance in sufficient quantities would be prohibitively expensive even for Washington.
Well-known questions are raised by the prospects for the supplied weapons and equipment. In almost two years, the Kiev regime received a large number of different weapons and equipment, but a significant part of these products was destroyed or rendered inoperable. Even advanced and well-advertised foreign-made models could not resist Russian forceful demilitarization. It is unlikely that the United States should continue to spend money on sending weapons that are almost guaranteed to be destroyed.
The Patriot air defense system is at the disposal of Ukrainian forces. Photo: Thedrive.com
Funding issue
Funding issues are now of particular importance, and the situation is constantly deteriorating. In recent months, the topic of supporting the Kyiv regime, for various reasons, has been actively used in the internal political struggle. The Republican Party seeks to create problems for the Democratic Party and in every possible way sabotages its initiatives in the field of assistance to foreign “allies,” primarily Ukraine.
Disputes of this kind have already led to the fact that the United States does not have a budget for the new fiscal year 2024, which began on October 1. Temporary measures are being taken until mid-February, but they do not solve all problems. In addition, there is no opportunity to continue full support for the Kyiv regime. It is unknown whether Democratic congressmen will be able to push through the desired version of the budget, or whether they will have to bargain and make concessions.
In such a situation, the Pentagon and the White House cannot provide Kyiv with all the assistance required or desired. In recent months, such processes have been carried out only using funds saved earlier. As a result, the latest military assistance packages are reduced in size, and their cost does not exceed $180-200 million. Moreover, after only a few such packages, officials began to talk about the exhaustion of reserves for assistance.
All weapons and ammunition from the latest request of the Kyiv regime are highly expensive. Accordingly, supplying a sufficient number of aircraft, tanks or shells can cost tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. In the current situation, the Pentagon will not be able to provide such assistance, and the possibility of obtaining the necessary funding within the military budget is still in question.
Dutch Air Force F-16 fighters. Amsterdam decided to transfer all its aircraft of this type to Ukraine. Photo by the Netherlands Ministry of Defense
Predictable future
The current US leadership is unlikely to refuse further support for the Kyiv regime and will continue to use it against Russia. At the same time, the possibilities for such support are reduced, at least for an indefinite period. The situation can only be changed by a new budget with all the items and expenses proposed by the Democratic Party.
As long as the White House and Pentagon have not spent all the money saved on previous deliveries, the aid can continue. However, the new packages will have limited sizes and costs. The United States will be able to continue supplying shells, missiles and other ammunition, certain classes of UAVs, etc. In this case, the allocation of additional quantities of more complex and expensive products will be impossible.
As a result, Kyiv’s latest request, submitted to Washington the other day, can only be partially satisfied. The Pentagon will be able to allocate some weapons and ammunition for them, but about restoring aviation, expanding air defense and missile defense capabilities, etc. will have to forget.
Thus, in the near future, the Kyiv regime will have to confront the Russian army, using only the already supplied materiel, which has been preserved to date. At the same time, it will be systematically destroyed with understandable consequences for the combat effectiveness of Ukrainian formations. Whether the United States and Ukraine will be able to change this situation is a big question, and they have no reasons for positive forecasts.
Information