The Pentagon has warned European allies, including Britain, Poland, Lithuania and Estonia, that it will significantly delay the supply of US weapons, the Financial Times reported, citing sources.
Nine of the publication’s interlocutors said that Pentagon representatives have informed Europe that they may seriously delay the delivery of several missile systems. Two sources added that such negotiations also took place with Asian countries.
The Financial Times wrote that this is “bad news for Ukraine amid concerns about US support.” The delays will affect ammunition supplies for the HIMARS and NASAMS missile systems used by Ukraine in its major war with Russia.
A senior Ukrainian official said that US arms supplies to Kiev have been delayed since the start of the war with Iran. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky said that due to delays in deliveries, Patriot launchers sometimes remained empty during strikes by the Russian Armed Forces.
The Pentagon told the newspaper that it “carefully evaluates new requests for equipment from partners as well as existing weapons transfers” to ensure they meet operational needs.
US President Donald Trump said on May 1 that the United States had no problems with weapons stockpiles: “We have stockpiles all over the world, and we can use them if we need to.”
Security experts said US allies in Asia such as Japan and South Korea should also prepare for delays in US arms shipments.
The United States used a large amount of weapons during the war with Iran, which is why the US military had to transfer weapons from other regions, including the Indo-Pacific region. According to the Financial Times, the war with Iran has heightened concerns about whether the United States has enough weapons to deter China or defeat the Chinese military in a potential conflict over Taiwan.