Ukraine’s western allies are running out of weapons to donate, the UK defense secretary has said, meaning they may have to buy more to keep Kiev forces supplied in the face of Russian aggression.
Ben Wallace said that while Western support for Ukraine remains strong, “we have seen the reality, which is that we are all running out of” defense equipment to donate.
While Western weapons stocks may be dwindling, Russian forces already lack much-needed equipment, he said, with a stern warning that “if you hit Russian forces in the wrong place, they will collapse.”
The defense secretary was also confident in the progress of the Ukrainian forces, even suggesting that Ukraine could retake Crimea as soon as this year in his interview with The Washington Post.
It comes after Rishi Sunak reiterated the UK’s unwavering military support for Ukraine last week as Britain sent its most powerful non-nuclear missile, the Storm Shadow, to support the resistance against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Ben Wallace said that while Western support for Ukraine remains strong, “we have seen the reality, which is that we are all running out of” defense equipment to donate.
Britain last week sent its most powerful non-nuclear missile, the Storm Shadow, to support the country’s resistance against Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
The donation made the UK the first Western country to offer long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, adding to the wide range of weapons gifted to kyiv by the British government.
Britain has promised tanks, missile launch systems, NLAW anti-tank weapons, tanks and drones to Ukraine.
The UK has so far committed £4.6bn in arms, the second-highest to Ukraine’s allies behind the US ($37.6bn).
It was reported last month that the US has so far shipped around $21.1 billion worth of weapons from its stocks, including HIMARS. launchers, Javelin anti-tank weapons and a surface-to-air missile system.
Wallace’s assessment of existing munitions levels comes after strategic analyst Howard Wheeldon shared a worrying analysis of Britain’s military capability earlier this week.
A Ukrainian serviceman fires an NLAW anti-tank weapon during an exercise in the Joint Forces Operation, in the Donetsk region.
He told the Mail: ‘All credit to the UK government for their swift response and actions, but the sad fact is that after supplying an unquantified number of probably expired Storm Shadow missiles, the UK has little else it can give. .
“The idea that we could also have provided fast jet capability left a lot to be desired, for the simple reason that we don’t have enough to defend the UK and continue our international commitments.
“When it comes to equipment capacity and total available capacity, we are a nation that, defense-wise, doesn’t have the resources available anymore.”
A report published in March noted that if donations to Ukraine continue at their current rates, it will take ten years for British arms stocks to reach an acceptable level.
Addressing the Defense Conference in London last week, the Prime Minister said the UK is committed to supplying Ukraine with arms in the long term.
Sunak said: “We were the first country to provide [Ukraine] with main battle tanks and long-range weapons, we have also helped with air defense and trained Ukrainian forces.
“We have led the charge to make sure they had the resources and we are going to be steadfast in our support for Ukraine. Our support is not going away.
“Ukraine can count on its allies, particularly the UK, to continue to support them. We are united.’
Sunak added that Britain was “leading the conversation” with its allies on what long-term deals can be made with Ukraine to ensure the country’s security.
The prime minister also reiterated his ambition to increase UK defense spending to 2.5 percent of GDP, but did not set a date for doing so.
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