The conflict between Israel and Hamas has led to a slowdown in the delivery of 155mm caliber shells to Ukraine.

This was stated by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an interview with Le Monde.

“Do you think what they started buying primarily in the Middle East? 155 caliber. Our stocks have decreased. It’s not like the United States said: we’re not giving anything to Ukraine. No! We have serious, very strong relationships—not saying it’s a positive moment, but this is life, and we must defend what belongs to us”, he said.

Zelensky noted that around the world, “warehouses are either empty now or there is a certain minimum that a particular state cannot provide you with. And this is not enough”.

However, Zelensky welcomed the efforts of the United States to increase the production of these munitions. Recall that on October 14, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, mentioned that the European Union would not be able to fulfill its plan to supply one million artillery shells to Ukraine by March 2024 due to the state of defense production and bureaucratic obstacles. Germany also stated that the European Union’s goal of supplying 1 million shells to Ukraine would not be achieved, citing limited production of munitions in the EU.

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