Pentagon says US has enough weapons and ammunition to supply Israel and Ukraine
(Baonghean.vn) - According to Russia's RT news agency, the US military has just dismissed media concerns about ammunition and equipment.
Specifically, a Pentagon spokeswoman told reporters on October 9 that Washington could meet all of West Jerusalem's weapons, equipment and ammunition requirements while continuing to support Kiev.
“We can continue to support both Ukraine and Israel and maintain our own global readiness,” a senior US Defense Department official also said during a meeting.
“While we are providing and will continue to provide a significant amount of assistance to Ukraine, we are vigilant in ensuring that we can also respond to other crises and contingencies, support other partners, and maintain our own military readiness and our ability to assist others,” the official later added.
The official also said the United States could meet “any request that our Israeli partners have” and expected to see “continuous delivery” of some of those requests. While declining to provide specifics, the spokesman said this applied to Iron Dome and other air defense systems.
The Pentagon is “working as quickly as possible” to expedite the delivery of “critically needed” ammunition and equipment, as well as contacting defense contractors to expedite pending Israeli orders.
When reporters raised concerns about how US weapons might be used, Pentagon officials said there were “robust procedures and measures in place to monitor their use” and that the US was “in constant dialogue with the Israelis about their operational plans.”
US cargo planes have begun landing in Israel, even as the government in West Jerusalem declared a “full siege” on Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’s aggression. The conflict that erupted on October 7 was the bloodiest conflict Israel has seen since 1973.
The Pentagon has described the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group to the eastern Mediterranean as “a clear demonstration in actions, not just words, of US support for Israel’s defense.”
According to the US official, the aircraft carrier “sends a signal to Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon and any other proxy forces in the region that may be considering taking advantage of the current situation to escalate the conflict.”
