SCRANTON, Pennsylvania — Under exceptionally tight security, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky on sunday visited the Ammunition factory in Pennsylvania that is producing one of the most urgently needed ammunition for his country’s struggle to repel Russian ground forces.
Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat who was among those who met with Zelenskyy at the Scranton Army Munitions Plantsaid the president had a simple message: “Thank you. And we need more.”
The Scranton plant is one of the few plants in the country that 155mm artillery shells and has increased production over the past year. Ukraine has already received more than 3 million from the US
Zelenskyy’s visit capped a busy week in the United States as he works tirelessly to shore up support for Ukraine in the war. He will speak at the annual meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday, then travel to Washington for talks on Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The area around the munitions factory had been cordoned off since Sunday morning. Municipal garbage trucks were stationed at various roadblocks and there was a heavy presence of city, county and state police, including mounted officers.
As Zelensky’s large motorcade made its way to the munitions factory in the afternoon, a small group of supporters gathered, waving Ukrainian flags to show their appreciation for his visit.
“It’s a shame that we need a plant like this, but it’s there, and it’s there to protect the world,” said Vera Kowal Krewson, a first-generation Ukrainian-American who was among those greeting Zelenskyy’s procession. “And I think that’s powerful.”
She said many of her friends’ parents worked at the munitions factory and called Zelensky’s visit “a wonderful thing.”
Laryssa Salak, 60, whose parents also emigrated from Ukraine, also said she was happy that Zelenskyy came to thank the workers. She said she is upset that funding for Ukraine’s defense has divided Americans and that even some of her friends oppose the aid, saying the money should go to Americans instead.
“But they don’t understand that that money doesn’t go directly to Ukraine,” Salak said. “It goes to American factories that, like here, produce munitions. So that money also goes to American workers. And a lot of people don’t understand that.”
The 155mm shells made at the Scranton plant are used in howitzer systems, which are large guns with long barrels that can fire at different angles. Howitzers can hit targets up to 15 to 20 miles (24 to 32 kilometers) away and are highly valued by ground troops for taking out enemy targets from a protected distance.
Now that the war has been going on for three years, Zelensky is pressing the US for permission to use longer-range missile systems to shoot deeper into Russia.
So far, he has failed to convince the Pentagon or the White House to ease those restrictions. The Defense Department has stressed that Ukraine can already hit Moscow with Ukrainian drones, and there is hesitation about the strategic implications of a U.S. missile hitting the Russian capital.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its NATO allies if they allow Ukraine to use the long-range weapons.
At one point in the war, Ukraine was firing between 6,000 and 8,000 of the 155mm shells per day. That rate was beginning to deplete U.S. supplies and raised concerns that the available level would not be enough to support U.S. military needs if another major conventional war broke out, such as a potential conflict over Taiwan.
In response, the US has invested in restarting production lines and is now producing over 40,000 155mm rounds per month, with plans to increase this to 100,000 rounds per month.
Two of the Pentagon leaders who pushed for the increased production — Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology, and Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s top arms buyer — were expected to join Zelenskyy at the plant. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, also joined the Ukrainian president.
The 155mm rounds are just one of dozens of munitions, missiles, air defenses, and advanced weapons systems the U.S. has supplied to Ukraine — everything from small arms rounds to advanced F-16 fighter jets. The U.S. has been the largest donor to Ukraineproviding more than $56 billion of the more than $106 billion raised by NATO and partner countries to support defense.
Although Ukraine is not a NATO member, many European countries see its commitment to its defense as a must to prevent Putin from further military aggression, which could threaten neighboring NATO members and lead to a much larger conflict.
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Copp reported from Washington.