Ukraine’s western allies have “all run out of weapons to donate,” the British defense minister said, meaning they may have to buy more to supply Kiev’s armed forces in the face of Russian aggression.
Ben Wallace said that while Western support for Ukraine remains steadfast, “we have seen the reality, which is that we are all running out of defense equipment to donate.”
While Western arms supplies may be dwindling, Russian troops already don’t have enough equipment, he said, with a clear warning that “if you hit the Russian troops in the wrong place, they will collapse.”
The defense minister was also confident in the progress of the Ukrainian armed forces, even suggesting that Ukraine could recapture Crimea as early as this year in his interview with The Washington Post.
It comes after Rishi Sunak reiterated the UK’s staunch military support for Ukraine last week, when Britain sent its most powerful non-nuclear missile, the Storm Shadow, to support resistance to Vladimir Putin’s invasion.
Ben Wallace said that while Western support for Ukraine remains steadfast, “we have seen the reality, which is that we are all running out of defense equipment to donate.”
Last week Britain sent its most powerful non-nuclear missile, the Storm Shadow, to support the country’s resistance to Vladimir Putin’s invasion
The donation made the UK the first Western country to offer long-range cruise missiles to Ukraine, adding to the extensive variety of weapons donated to Kyiv by the British government.
Britain has pledged tanks, missile launchers, NLAW anti-tank weapons, tanks and drones to Ukraine.
The UK has so far pledged £4.6bn in arms, Ukraine’s second most allies after the US ($37.6bn).
Last month it was reported that the US has so far sent weapons worth about $21.1 billion from its stockpiles, including HIMARS launchers, Javelin anti-tank weapons and a surface-to-air missile system.
Mr Wallace’s assessment of existing ammunition levels comes after strategic analyst Howard Wheeldon shared an analysis of Britain’s military capability earlier this week.
A Ukrainian soldier fires an NLAW anti-tank weapon during a Joint Forces Operation exercise in the Donetsk region
He told the Mail: ‘All credit to the UK government for its swift response and actions, but the sad fact is that after supplying an unquantified number of likely expired Storm Shadow missiles, the UK has little else to give.
“The idea that we might also have been able to provide fast fighter jets 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.
“In terms of equipment capability and overall available capability, we are a nation that, when it comes to defense, is already running out of resources.”
A report published in March outlined that if donations to Ukraine continue at the current rate, it would take a decade for British arms stockpiles to reach acceptable levels.
Speaking at last week’s London conference, the prime minister said the United Kingdom is committed to supplying Ukraine with arms in the long term.
Mr Sunak said: ‘We were the first country to deliver [Ukraine] with main battle tanks and longer-range weapons, we also assisted with air defense and trained Ukrainian troops.
“We led the attack by making sure they had the resources and we will be steadfast in our support for Ukraine. Our support is not going away.
Ukraine can count on its allies, especially the UK, to continue to support them. We are united.’
Mr Sunak added that Britain was “leading the conversation” with its allies about 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 that.