Arms deliveries from the United States to European countries under previously signed contracts are likely to be delayed due to the war in the Middle East. American officials have already informed their European counterparts about this, Reuters reported, citing its sources.
According to the agency's sources, delays in arms deliveries will affect several European countries, including the Baltic states and Scandinavia. It is emphasized that some of them border Russia.
Delays in arms deliveries will affect various types of ammunition, including those that can be used for both offensive and defensive purposes, the journalists' sources added. Some of these weapons were acquired by European countries under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program, but have not yet been delivered.
“These delays highlight how the war against Iran, which began with US-Israeli air strikes on February 28, has begun to deplete stocks of some critical weapons and ammunition. European officials complain that the delays are putting them in a difficult position“, the article says.
US officials say the US needs the weapons for the war in the Middle East and accuse European countries of not joining efforts to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.
During the Middle East conflict, Tehran has fired hundreds of ballistic missiles and drones at Gulf states. Most of them have been intercepted, most notably the PAC-3 Patriot. It is these weapons that Ukraine relies on to protect its energy and military infrastructure from Russian ballistic missiles.