US turns to Japan for munitions to supply Ukraine as arms stocks fall
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The US Defense Department says Washington is working with Japan and the rest of its allies to maintain weapons supplies to Kiev.
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A US soldier carrying 155mm artillery shells during Exercise Rolling Thunder (US Marine Corps)
Japan mulls sending artillery munition to the United States, which is struggling with significant depletion in arms stockpile as it continues to send large military packages to Ukraine, The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The transfer of 155mm shells will be through a 2016 security pact between the two allies that allows the exchange of ammunition among them.
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Citing sources informed about the matter, the newspaper said the US has provided Kiev with over 2 million 155mm shells since the beginning of the conflict with Russia, prompting Washington to resort to its allies and sometimes its strategic amo depots station in their countries to be able to replenish its own stock and further funnel weapons to Ukraine.
In addition to withdrawing ammo and hardware from its army to send to Ukraine, Washington has also requested from its military-industrial complex to increase production to supply further assistance.
"We continue to work together with Japan and more than 50 countries around the world to provide support to Ukraine," a spokesperson for the US Defense Department said, according to the WSJ.
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In a report published in June, Reuters cited sources as saying that the US found a workaround to buy TNT from Japan used to produce 155mm shells, as Tokyo's law bans the export of lethal material.
Earlier this week, Washington announced a new $325 million military package to Ukraine, which includes artillery shells, financed through this year's approved budget allocated for Kiev worth billions of dollars.
