The US is set to give Israel tens of thousands of 155mm artillery rounds intended for Ukraine to defend against Russia’s unprovoked invasion, according to reports
According to a report from Axios referencing three Israeli officials, the US has a stockpile of ammunition that it stores in Israel.
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Starting this year, after receiving assurances from then-Prime Minister Yair Lapid and then-Defense Minister Benny Gantz that Israel had no immediate need for the shells, the US began drawing them down to send to Ukraine.
However, after a Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7, Israel changed its mind.
The Israeli military requested the artillery shells in preparation for its upcoming invasion of Gaza and a possible escalation of the war with Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.
US officials have said that diverting the rounds from Ukraine to Israel won’t have an immediate impact on Ukraine’s ability to fight against Russian troops.
“We are confident we can support both Ukraine and Israel in terms of their defensive needs,” Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder, a Pentagon spokesperson told reporters.
In a speech Thursday night, US President Joseph Biden reaffirmed his support for both Ukraine and Israel.
“We cannot and will not let terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin win. I refuse to let that happen,” Biden said.
In a Tweet on the X platform, Ukrainian Minister of Foreign Affairs Dmytro Kuleba said that as a result of talks between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Biden Thursday, the US will soon be giving Ukraine longer-range ATACMS missiles.
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As a country, the US has been Ukraine’s biggest ally in its defense against Russia’s full-scale invasion – sending far more money to Ukraine than any other country.
According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a German research institute, the US has directed more than $75 billion in assistance to Ukraine including humanitarian, financial and military support.
This is the first time that a European country has been the top beneficiary of US air since US President Harry Truman’s administration invested vast sums into rebuilding Europe under the Marshall Plan after World War II.
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