Says West Is Almost Reaching Maximum Aid To Ukraine, Former NATO Artillery Commander: Not Much More In Arms

M777 Howitzer. (Wikimedia Commons/Jonathan Mallard)

JAKARTA - The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has almost nothing left in its arsenal to ship to Ukraine, despite Kyiv pressing the United States and Europe for long-range missile systems, a former NATO artillery commander has said.

European Union Security Policy Chief Josep Borrell said on May 22 that they had run out of military hardware to help Ukraine. All eyes are on the US after a White House official announced the next US$700 million aid package, which will include the HIMARS missile system, which can hit targets up to 50 miles away.

Pierre Henrot, who serves as a high-ranking nuclear artillery officer in NATO and UN peacekeeper in the Balkans, told Sputnik the decision to supply Ukraine with the heaviest equipment dates back to late April. US President Joe Biden has ruled out donating the M270 self-propelled missile system, with a range of 300 kilometers, fearing Ukrainian forces might attack Russia.

"I think we will reach the limit of what Europe and even the US is willing to give to Ukraine, despite the pressing new demands by President Zelensky's government," he told Sputnik News as quoted on June 4.

HIMARS. (Wikimedia Commons/Sgt Anthony Ortiz)

"The US has shipped a lot and can send more of the same, in exchange. As for Europe, despite the publicity being made about this shipment, they cannot send more heavy equipment, as there is not much else available in their arsenal".

"Despite the difficult situation of the Ukrainian army in the Donbass, the US has reached the limit for the types of weapons to be provided. Moreover, NATO countries know that they are dangerously flirting with the concept of common war and don't I don't want to be dragged into a direct confrontation with Moscow," he added. Henrot.

The US, Australia, and Canada have agreed to send the towed 155mm M777 howitzer to Ukraine. The expert said he would be surprised if they provided Excalibur shells, which offer GPS-guided precision targeting from distances of 30 kilometers and more, as a single shot costs 80,000 US dollars.

As for France, France has offered Ukraine the 155mm Caesar cannon, but their ammunition is not compatible with the M777 howitzer. The Netherlands will give up part of its stockpile of 50 howitzers, while Germany has the slightly outdated Gepard anti-aircraft tank to offer Ukraine instead of the coveted Leopard 2 battle tank.

German M270 MLRS. (Wikimedia Commons/Mark Rauchenberger)

"It really can't make a difference on the battlefield. In addition, gunners must be trained overseas, and as an artillery commander, I assume that it takes you a year to ensure the firing team is fully capable of using their artillery, capabilities, and accuracy to the best of their ability in the field." base. Therefore, US and European assistance will not be very effective," Henrot said.

Logistics is another weak point in allied plans to help Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. Armament relies heavily on supply chains for parts and ammunition, experts explain.

It needs to be carried by the thousands into position and the logistics path can be easily disrupted by the Russian air force and cruise missiles. There are 1250 kilometers by road from the Polish border to the Donbass with several bridges over the Dnieper River having been blown up, even the railroads are not suitable for trains between West and East.

The Ukrainian side also requires spare parts that must be imported from the US or Europe. In NATO, ordering everything, from weapons to oil, is done by computers.

Henrot said he doubted that Ukraine would be given access to PCs capable of entering NATO's logistics network: all it took was a Ukrainian logistics battalion to surrender to Russia, for secret NATO procedures and equipment to fall into the hands of Russian troops.

He added that relations between Kyiv and Brussels were already strained and could deteriorate rapidly. Germany is reluctant to send modern weapons, while Hungary has angered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, by refusing to provide any assistance other than humanitarian aid. So far, only Poland and the Baltic states have been steadfast on Kyiv's side, but they are the only countries willing to go further.

"All European member states are not on the same wavelength, especially on military equipment. When you look at the difficulty for the EU to define a common policy on Russia's crude oil embargo, you realize that the EU will probably stop at the sixth package of sanctions and will not produce the seventh package," he concluded.