Army Leader Expresses Concern About Ability to Supply Weapons to Israel and Ukraine at Same Time

KYIV, UKRAINE - AUGUST 23: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy attends the 3rd Crimea
GIL COHEN-MAGEN/AFP via Getty Images, Ercin Erturk/Anadolu Agency via Getty
Kristina Wong

The Army’s top civilian leader expressed concerns about the U.S.’s ability to support Israel and Ukraine at the same time during a Monday press conference, particularly when it comes to supplying 155mm artillery rounds.

U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the Army would need more money from Congress to supply both Israeli and Ukrainian forces at the same time.

WASHINGTON, DC - MAY 10: U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth (L) and Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville testify during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill on May 10, 2022 in Washington, DC. The two testified on the President's fiscal year 2023 funding request and budget justification for the Department of the Army. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

U.S. Army Secretary Christine Wormuth (L) on Capitol Hill on May 10, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Wormuth said at an Association of the United States Army (AUSA) press conference:

One thing that is really important in terms of the munitions in particular, and our ability to support both potentially the Israelis and the Ukrainians simultaneously, is additional funding from Congress to be able to increase our capacity, in terms of our capacity to expand production and then to also pay for the munitions themselves.

Arming Ukraine may have already come at Israel’s expense.

Watch the press conference here:

In January, U.S. officials acknowledged dipping into its weapons stockpile in Israel — which serves as a cache for Israeli forces during emergencies — for Ukraine. The New York Times reported on January 17:

The Pentagon is tapping into a vast but little-known stockpile of American ammunition in Israel to help meet Ukraine’s dire need for artillery shells in the war with Russia, American and Israeli officials say.

Some U.S. officials have claimed that Israel and Ukraine do not need the same weapons.

A Politico report on Sunday cited a U.S. official who claimed military assistance to Israel would not impact its aid to Ukraine, since the countries use different systems. “Israel has Iron Dome, whereas Ukraine has NASAMS, Patriot, Hawks,” the official told the outlet. “It’s a bit of a different category.”

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However, a Politico report on Monday said Biden administration officials have told members of Congress that Israel needs air defense systems — something Ukraine needs as well. It also said both Israel and Ukraine “desperately need” 155mm artillery shells. Politico reported:

The countries need different types of weapons, for the most part. Israel is expected to rely heavily on precision air-to-ground munitions fired from F-16 and F-35 fighter jets and Apache helicopters, none of which is in the Ukrainian arsenal. The issue of 155mm artillery shells, which both countries desperately need, will likely loom large, however.

The Times report from January acknowledged that a “sizable portion” of the more than one million 155mm artillery shells the U.S. has sent Ukraine came from its stockpiles in Israel and South Korea. The report said:

The United States has so far sent or pledged to send Ukraine just over one million 155-millimeter shells. A sizable portion of that — though less than half — has come from the stockpiles in Israel and South Korea, a senior U.S. official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss operational matters.

The Pentagon in recent days has said more military aid is on its way to Israel.

Republican strategist Andrew Surabian posted Tuesday on X:

It’s almost like all of the talking heads and politicians who claimed we could “walk and chew gum at the same time” in defense of endlessly funding Ukraine with billions were lying to us:

Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) on Monday called for aid to Ukraine to be redirected to Israel immediately. He posted:

Israel is facing existential threat. Any funding for Ukraine should be redirected to Israel immediately

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy on Monday criticized the decision to raid the Israel-based stockpile for Ukraine, posting an op-ed written by a retired admiral arguing that it was the right decision, and adding, “The @WashingtonPost this January. Didn’t age too well”:

Retired Admiral and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander James Stavridis hit back, saying Israel would not need the same types of weapons as Ukraine does — a claim that was fiercely rebutted by a number of combat veterans.

Former senior Trump Pentagon official Elbridge Colby called for America to “husband our strength for Asia and very close allies like Israel,” noting the threat from China. He posted on X:

The threat from China has not dissipated in the slightest while our defense spending and industry remain basically status quo as threats multiply. Actually what this shows is the need for us to husband our strength for Asia and very close allies like Israel while we grow our defense industrial base.

As Republicans call for more support to Israel, some lawmakers hope to push through more aid to Ukraine at the same time.

The Biden administration requested an additional $24 billion in aid to Ukraine, on top of the $113 billion already committed, but House Republicans refused to attach it to a recently passed short-term government funding measure, and there is growing staunch opposition to spending more on Ukraine.

However, as Politico noted, even if Congress approved money for Israel, “it’s still an open question whether the industrial base — already straining from the effort to arm Ukraine — can deliver for Tel Aviv over the long term.”

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