U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Western countries were working to address Ukraine’s “most pressing needs” amid the Eastern European country’s increasing consumption of artillery ammunition in its fight against Russian invasion, The New York Times reported Tuesday.
“We’re going to do everything we can working with our international partners to ensure that we give them as much ammunition as quickly as possible,” said Austin, a 2023 Wash100 awardee.
He noted that allies were collaborating with Ukrainian soldiers to advance tactical training to help ease the latter’s use of artillery fire.
U.S. and European officials said the U.S. military is considering bringing to Ukraine about 1.6 million rounds of small arms ammunition, more than 7,000 promixity fuses, antitank missiles and over 5,000 assault rifles that were seized by the U.S. Navy from smugglers suspected of supporting Iran-backed forces in Yemen, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
According to U.S. officials, the White House needs to find a legal justification to send the seized weapons to Ukraine as the United Nations arms embargo directs the U.S. and its allies to store, destroy or disposed of such weapons.
The Pentagon said the U.S. has sent to Ukraine over 100 million rounds of small arms ammo and approximately 13,000 guns, rifles and grenade launchers.