The US has significant stocks of obsolete missiles, which, instead of being disposed of, could be transferred to Ukraine at no additional cost. This opportunity should be seized immediately.
This opinion was expressed by the Ukrainian ambassador to the UK, former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi, in an article for Ukrayinska Pravda, Ukrinform reports.
The diplomat noted that despite attempts to maintain support for Ukraine, European countries were unprepared for rapid changes in the defense-industrial complex, yielding to autocratic Russia and the capabilities of the US in particular.
As Zaluzhnyi noted, some of them actively began preparations, as for World War II, burdening their own budgets and not understanding that there would be no war like the one in February 2022. In addition, in the context of geopolitical instability, the reformatting of Europe itself is evident. All this is exacerbated by the fact that European leaders fear the reaction of their own electorate, which is not ready for a deterioration in its living conditions, the Ukrainian ambassador stated.
“In such circumstances, it is necessary to be extremely cautious in hoping for long-term and, most importantly, necessary assistance today. At the same time, the United States of America remains a country of virtually unlimited opportunities and with the most developed economy. The US currently has significant stocks of obsolete or ready-to-be-disposed missiles, the transfer of which to Ukraine could be an effective solution. These weapons do not require additional budgetary expenditures for disposal, and are vitally necessary for Ukraine,” emphasized the former commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
In this context, he reported that, in particular, by the end of 2023, more than 170,000 Hellfire missiles of various modifications had been manufactured in the US. A significant portion of these munitions were produced between 1998 and 2018, and their service life is usually 20–25 years, after which they require official decommissioning or disposal.
In addition, as part of a long-term Pentagon program, there is a gradual transition to the new JAGM system, which is replacing Hellfire in production and operation.
“Therefore, a significant part of the obsolete weapons will be disposed of or transferred to other allied countries. Ukraine can take advantage of this opportunity by systematically sending official requests within the framework of various programs, arguing the need for operational strengthening of defense capabilities and guaranteeing the US rational disposal of stocks,” Zaluzhnyi believes.
As reported by Ukrinform, on Tuesday, July 8, Trump said that the United States would send more weapons to Ukraine to help the country defend itself against intensified Russian attacks.
According to Reuters, Trump will use his presidential powers to transfer a package of weapons to Ukraine for the first time since coming to power in January this year. He plans to send a package of weapons worth up to USD 300 million to Ukraine. The weapons will be provided from the Pentagon’s existing resources.
Photo: Facebook / Valerii Zaluzhnyi
Source: Transfer of obsolete US missiles to Ukraine offers win‑win solution – Zaluzhnyi
