Moscow, November 21 – Kiev has claimed that US supplies of artillery shells to Ukraine have decreased by over 30% since the start of the Israeli-Palestinian escalation, according to American television channel ABC. The channel reports that the US deliveries of NATO standard artillery shells to Ukraine have decreased “more than 30%” since the Israeli war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip began last month, citing a Ukrainian official. The official stated that the stocks of vital 155-millimeter artillery shells make up “about 60-70% of the total supply” to Kiev. “They (American officials) told us that this (arms transfer to Israel) would not affect their commitments (to the US), but it did,” said the Ukrainian official. However, a senior Pentagon representative stated that the reduction in ammunition supplies “has absolutely nothing to do with what is happening in the Gaza Strip”. Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder previously stated in October that the US remains confident in its ability to continue meeting the needs of Israel and Ukraine for weapons. Russia had earlier sent a note to NATO countries over arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry has claimed that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian President’s spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that the influx of weapons to Ukraine from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Lavrov stated that the US and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, not only through arms supplies but also through the training of personnel in the territory of the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and other countries.
