‘We Always Have What We Need’: Blinken Dismisses Report Of ‘Low Stockpiles’ As US Funnels Weapons To Ukraine

‘We Always Have What We Need’: Blinken Dismisses Report Of ‘Low Stockpiles’ As US Funnels Weapons To Ukraine

Harold Hutchison on February 24, 2023

Secretary of State Antony Blinken defended the amount of military aid the United States provided Ukraine, Friday, even after being questioned about depleted stockpiles.

“David Martin reported just last night that we have low stockpiles in some key areas, and if there were a conflict we’d run out of, for example, air-to-ship missiles very quickly,” “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil told Blinken.

War games conducted by the Department of Defense showed that the United States military could run short of munitions, notably the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, CBS News reported. Experts told CBS that Ukraine’s monthly expenditures exceeded the annual productions of some weapons.

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“I can tell you that the Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, Chair of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley, are extremely vigilant about making sure that whatever happens, we always have what we need to defend ourselves, wherever — wherever it’s needed,” Blinken said.

Russia invaded Ukraine Feb. 24, launching a massive attack across the latter country. The United States has sent over $100 billion in aid to Ukraine, and announced in January they would send 31 M1 Abrams main battle tanks following a December announcement that a battery of MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missiles would be provided to that country.

“These weapons have had a real effect on Russia’s military. Russia’s got about 80% of its ground forces committed to Ukraine,” Blinken said. “They are taking terrible losses, terrible losses in in personnel. Public accounts, 200,000 killed or wounded, and then their own tanks, their own weaponry, is being destroyed by the Ukrainians.”