'Israel' gets THAAD, Ukraine doesn't amid US dilemma on arms supplies
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According to Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh, "Israel" and Ukraine are not comparable, explaining why the US could not deploy THAAD systems to Ukraine's EU neighbors.
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Members of the US 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command stand next to a Patriot surface-to-air missile battery in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 20, 2017. (AP)
The Pentagon has confirmed it will not deploy the same anti-ballistic missile defense system, Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery, to Ukraine as it will to "Israel" citing the complexities of providing military aid for two escalating wars.
While the US has been a major donor of military support to Ukraine since the war began, it is also addressing "Israel's" constant need for "self-defense".
Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh emphasized the distinction between the two wars, raising concerns about whether bolstering "Israel's" defenses could impact US support for Ukraine.
Singh said Tuesday that the idea that "different capabilities, different wars, different regions" was why the US would not also deploy the THAAD system to Ukraine's EU neighbors, such as Romania, to protect the country from Russian attacks.
The Financial Times earlier reported that former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East, Dana Stroul, has stated that Washington cannot continue to supply Ukraine and "Israel" at the same rate, revealing that "we are reaching a tipping point."
William D. Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, stated that the Pentagon and allies "could well break the bank" as they remain pressured to fund Ukraine amid the escalation of aggression by "Israel".
Hartung told Newsweek, "Interest on the debt is on track to be larger than the Pentagon budget by the end of this decade, and we have many, many unpredictable needs upcoming—disaster relief being just the most obvious."
The US has provided "Israel" with at least $22.76 billion in the last year in military aid, a recent report revealed. Additionally, in April, Congress passed a national security package that included $14.1 billion for "Israel".
The US Navy has also been actively attempting to curb operations by the Yemeni Armed Forces, costing the maritime industry an additional $2.1 billion owing to vessel diversions and increased insurance rates.
Since the onset of the Ukraine war in February 2022, Congress has approved five measures providing approximately $175 billion in fiscal, humanitarian, and military aid to Ukraine, with Biden's administration enabling the supply of long-range ATACMS, HIMARS, and F-16 aircraft.
"America has the resources. The question is not the availability of resources, but the willingness to deploy them, which is running out," said Michael A. Witt, a professor of international business and strategy at King's Business School, London.
Witt told Newsweek that the US would either rely on Europe to "foot more of the bill" or Russia would score a massive victory.
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government plans a response to Iran's missile barrage, there are rising concerns about the potential need for increased American involvement alongside the deployment of the THAAD system and US troops to operate it, signaling deeper US involvement in the escalating Middle East tensions.
