Poland has claimed that a new nuclear arms race could soon arise if the West fails to send Ukraine the weapons it needs to defeat Vladimir Putin’s army.
Radek Sikorski, Poland’s foreign minister, said an ongoing row within the US over whether to send a $60 billion aid package to Ukraine, as well as the reluctance of some key allies in Europe to arm Ukraine, is a battle to create new nuclear weapons.
“If America cannot come together with Europe and enable Ukraine to push Putin back, I fear our family of democratic nations will fall apart. The allies will look for other ways to ensure their security,” Sikorsky said during an interview with the Atlantic Council think tank.
“Some of them will aim for the ultimate weapon, starting a new nuclear race.”
Ukraine was once a nuclear nation, having inherited part of the former Soviet Union’s nuclear stockpile after it collapsed in the 1990s.
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has entered its third year
The flow of military aid to Kiev and the use of as many as 3,000 155mm howitzer shells per day have steadily drained US reserves
Poland’s foreign minister said Ukraine may be forced to develop its own nuclear weapons
But the country gave them up in 1994, after signing the Budapest Memorandum, in exchange for Russia’s recognition of its independence, its sovereignty and its own national borders.
Ukraine’s weapons stockpiles are currently so low that the Pentagon may soon have to tap its own diminished supply to ensure Ukraine can still keep fighting, even as Congress blocks additional funding.
The Pentagon has not yet made a final decision, but officials are considering the move as a way to continue supporting Ukraine despite the potential political pitfalls for the Biden administration.
Depleting U.S. supplies to support Ukraine would anger many Republicans, who say Biden should prioritize defending the United States first.
The flow of military aid to Kiev and the use of as many as 3,000 155mm howitzer shells per day have steadily drained US reserves, which at their peak in 2005 were worth $1.5 billion.
The Army uses about 150,000 grenades per year for training and is working to increase production from 20,000 grenades per month to 75,000 per year.
The Pentagon last year requested $1.5 billion to increase production and requested $30 million in the budget to “secure” its arsenal.
Ukraine was once a nuclear nation, having inherited part of the former Soviet Union’s nuclear stockpile after it collapsed in the 1990s
Ukraine’s weapons stockpiles are currently so low that the Pentagon may soon have to tap its own diminished stockpile to ensure Ukraine can still keep fighting.
A handler and a dog explore the ruins and look at part of a residential building destroyed by a Russian drone
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, told the New York Times that the idea was “on the table.”
The Defense Department has authorized about $4 billion to send Ukraine its own stockpiles, according to CNN, but the Pentagon remains reluctant to use them without assurance that they will be replaced.
By April 2022, US stockpiles of Javelin anti-tank missiles and Stinger anti-aircraft missiles were depleted by a third, leaving the Pentagon struggling to replenish them.
The Pentagon warned in September that the replenishment of US supplies was slowing due to House Republicans’ reluctance to pass more aid to Ukraine.
Earlier this month, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl raised concerns about the military’s ability to replenish supplies while assisting Ukraine.
The Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package earlier this month, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine.
The Senate passed a $95 billion foreign aid package earlier this month, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine. But Republican Chairman Mike Johnson remains reluctant to bring it up
But Republican Chairman Mike Johnson remains reluctant to bring it up, citing the need for President Biden to first address the crisis at the southern border.
Biden continues to reassure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the United States will ultimately provide him with the aid and ammunition he needs to defend his country against Russia.
“I’m going to fight until we get them the ammunition they need and the capability they need to defend themselves,” Biden said during a speech at the White House last week.
Poland, a member of NATO since 1999, is not a nuclear power and has not indicated any intention to acquire nuclear weapons.
But the country has expressed interest in NATO’s Nuclear Sharing program, which allows it to participate in planning the use of nuclear weapons.