Trump says US 'stupidly' gave Ukraine ammunition that Middle East could have purchased
Photo: US President Donald Trump (Getty Images)
The United States "stupidly" gave Ukraine a significant amount of ammunition for free. These supplies could have been sold to other countries, including in the Middle East, stated US President Donald Trump.
Read also: 'Wars can be fought forever': Trump claims US holds nearly unlimited weapons stockpiles
Trump emphasized that the US has "massive amounts" of the "high-end" ammunition, but a large portion was given to Ukraine without financial compensation. He stressed that if he had been in charge of the process, EU countries, for example, would have paid for these shipments.
"We have massive amounts of ammunition. We have the high-end. A lot of it was given away stupidly by Biden, very stupidly, for free. And I'm all for Ukraine, but they gave away a lot. As you know, when I give away ammunition, everybody pays for it...Middle East would buy a lot, and some of the nations, because they're rich, but it was given away to Ukraine," the US President said.
State of US arsenals
Despite criticism of previous decisions, Trump assured that the US currently has "unlimited supply" of "medium and upper ammunition" stored at bases worldwide. He added that he focused on rebuilding the armed forces during his first presidential term and says that the "military is great".
The President also reiterated his claim that the war in Ukraine "should have never happened" if he were President at that time.
Developments in the Middle East
The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, which began with US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets on February 28, triggered an energy and logistics crisis.
In response, Tehran attacked US bases in several Arab countries, leading to a 75% drop in shipping volumes.
Although the US Central Command has not recorded any mining of the Strait of Hormuz, carriers are largely avoiding the route for safety reasons.
This has already caused European gas prices to surge by 46% (up to €46.55 per MWh), and a full blockade of the strait for a month could double fuel costs.
