"The situation is worse than they say": NATO says Ukraine's situation at the front is dire due to the end of US funding
There are fears that the Armed Forces will run out of ammunition for artillery and air defence systems
In the absence of Western aid, Ukraine will have to confront the Russian army with fewer resources, which poses a risk of retreat, a senior NATO official told the Financial Times.
"It's a desperate situation for the Ukrainians on the front line, much worse than they are making it out to be," the source said. The situation is indeed serious, and official statements by Western officials do not exaggerate the situation, a US Defence Ministry spokesman confirmed.
According to him, Washington has run out of funds to send weapons to Kyiv.
This raises concerns that the Ukrainian Armed Forces will run out of ammunition for artillery and air defence systems.
"It's a very grim scenario," the Pentagon source said. Another military source warned that a prolonged lack of aid would lead to a significant gap in the supply of weapons.
"It will not be easy for the Europeans to replace the US. It is not entirely realistic," the senior European diplomat admitted.
According to him, it will be difficult for the Ukrainian Armed Forces to hold their current positions, and Ukrainian commanders are already aware of the prospect of very difficult offensive battles.
Back in January, in a letter to the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, the head of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, Rustem Umerov, reminded us of an "old truth":
"The side that has the most ammunition to fight usually wins."
He also stressed that the shortage of ammunition is "increasing every day", and the advantage of the Russian army is only growing.
The US has been unable to agree on a new financial package for Ukraine since autumn 2023. The White House and the Pentagon have run out of funds to provide aid – the last $250 million arms package was delivered to Kyiv in late December.
President Zelenskyy warned that without Western support, the Ukrainian military would be forced to retreat. In early February, the Ukrainian army began to experience an "acute shortage" of artillery and began to save ammunition on the battlefield due to the suspension of military aid. For ten shots from the Russian side, the Ukrainian army can respond with only one.
The White House is looking for ways to pay for weapons for the Ukrainian Armed Forces without Congressional approval of the $61.4 billion aid package.
In particular, the US could force Europe to pay for the supply of US weapons to Ukraine. A comprehensive arms exchange with Japan and South Korea could also be organised, in which they would provide Washington with weapons for Kyiv.
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