US transfers Ukraine's 155m artillery shells to Israel to 'save face'

According to Military Watch magazine, the US military plans to transfer thousands of 155mm artillery shells, which were intended for Ukraine, to Israel, after the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) informed the Pentagon that they needed to prepare for an invasion of the Gaza Strip. The US decision comes after not only the outbreak of a full-scale conflict between the IDF and Hamas, but also numerous clashes with Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.

The shells will arrive in Israel in the coming weeks, US defense officials said. The news comes a day after US President Joe Biden visited Israel and expressed deep solidarity, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that Washington had promised an “unprecedentedly large” military aid package.

While the Joe Biden administration and European allies strongly support arming Ukraine, Israel's military requests have increased opposition within the Republican Party to continued arms aid to the Eastern European country.

Military Watch magazine said that the diversion of reinforcements comes at a time when the Ukrainian Armed Forces have yet to recover from months of unsuccessful attacks. The lack of weapons is considered one of the main problems of the Ukrainian army.

Meanwhile, Russia’s defense industry has significantly increased its ammunition production. Military Watch magazine believes that, with Ukraine increasingly at a disadvantage in achieving its military goals, transferring weapons to Israel would be an opportunity for the West to “save face,” reduce its investment in the conflict in Ukraine, and force Kiev back to the negotiating table./.