The Pentagon is planning to send tens of thousands of artillery shells to Israel that were intended for Ukraine a few months ago.

The war inthe Middle East is already having a negative, though not critical, impact onarms supplies to Ukraine. The Pentagon is planning to transfer tens ofthousands of 155mm artillery shells to Israel from the US emergency stockpilethat was intended for Ukraine a few months ago.

Accordingto Axios , the Israeli Ministry of Defencehas informed its American counterparts of the urgent need for artillery shellsdue to the ground operation in the Gaza Strip, as well as the risk ofescalating hostilities with the Islamic group Hezbollah along theIsraeli-Lebanese border.

Senior U.S.and Pentagon officials have noted that the transfer of these missiles to Israelwill not affect the combat capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces inconfronting the Russian invaders. Instead, as the publication notes, it is notclear how the situation will unfold for Kyiv if Israel's war with Hamastransforms into a broader regional conflict.

The UnitedStates began transferring 155 mm artillery shells to Ukraine from US warehousesdeployed in Israel in early 2023. Hamas' attack on Israel on 7 Octoberdramatically changed the situation.

The IsraeliIDF conducted an initial assessment of its immediate arms needs and submittedit to the Pentagon. One of the requests was for tens of thousands of 155 mmartillery shells to replenish the shortage of American stocks in Israel in casethe country's military needed to use the shells in a short time. Tel Aviv saidthat the United States had agreed and would send the requested batch ofartillery shells to the country in the coming weeks.

The UnitedStates has already provided Israel with access to this ammunition during thewar with Lebanon in 2006, as well as during the escalation of the conflict inGaza in 2014.

The US AirForce delivereda shipment of 155 mm M795 artillery shells to Israel. The shells wereloaded at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, which is a logistical centre forassistance to Ukraine. The US official added that prior to the 7 October Hamasterrorist attack, some 155mm ammunition was withdrawn from Israel's militaryreserve to replenish US stockpiles in Europe.

Nuances ofFinancing the Defence Needs of Ukraine and Israel

In earlyOctober, TheWall Street Journal reported that the US Department of Defence has$5.2 billion at its disposal to help Ukraine. The Pentagon noted that thesefunds would be enough for about six more months.

ForeignMinister Dmytro Kuleba said that the temporary US budget resolution adopted on30 September, which does not provide financial assistance for weapons forUkraine, does not mean that Washington's support has wavered or stopped.

Meanwhile,a political struggle over new defence funding packages for Ukraine and Israelhas erupted in the US.

PresidentJoe Biden is proposing that Congress approvea joint aid package for Ukraine and Israel worth $106 billion. At the sametime, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, who isclose to Trump, hasintroduced a bill on aid exclusively for Israel, without providing fundsfor Ukraine. The fate of both documents will be determined this week.