(Scypre.com) – President Biden recently participated in an interview where he acknowledged that the United States currently faces a shortage of 155 mm artillery ammunition rounds. This statement triggered a wave of criticism and questions about his administration’s competence from conservatives on social media.
During the interview, which was aired on Sunday morning, Biden defended his decision to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, describing it as a temporary measure during the transition period until more munitions can be produced.
Biden stated to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria, “The issue here is related to munitions. Ukraine is running low on ammunition, including these 155 weapons shells, and we are currently experiencing a shortage as well. So, based on the recommendation of the Defense Department, we have allowed for a transition period where we provide these munitions to the Ukrainians.”
The response on social media varied from confusion to outrage, with conservative pundits and experts questioning why Biden would publicly announce a shortage of ammunition that could potentially be seen by adversaries.
In response to the criticism generated by Biden’s interview on CNN, a White House official attempted to clarify his statement, stating that the United States has specific military requirements for the reserves of weapons systems and ammunition, which are not compromised by the assistance provided to Ukraine.
According to a White House official’s email, “All the assistance we provide to Ukraine exceeds our own needs. We maintain a sufficient supply of weapons systems and ammunition for contingencies or potential conflicts. Therefore, the United States is not running out of ammunition ourselves.”
Political commentator Ian Miles Cheong commented on the situation, suggesting that Biden unintentionally revealed the truth about the ammunition shortage. He wrote, “Joe Biden wasn’t supposed to disclose the shortage openly: ‘We’ve run out of ammunition.’ Now that it’s out in the open, we must question the feasibility of continuing to support Ukraine’s military amid the ongoing conflict.”
Robert Kennedy Jr., Biden’s rival in the Democratic presidential race, criticized Biden on Twitter for approving the delivery of cluster munitions to Ukraine. Kennedy’s tweet stated, “Last year, WH Press Secretary Jen Psaki labeled the use of cluster bombs a ‘war crime.’ Now President Biden plans to send them to Ukraine. Let’s halt this constant escalation! It’s time for peace.” In response to the controversy surrounding cluster munitions, the White House official defended the decision, emphasizing that the intention was to prevent Ukraine from being left defenseless.
“We are authorizing the provision of cluster munitions to ensure Ukraine’s defense while we increase our domestic production of ammunition significantly. We, along with our allies and partners, are actively working to ramp up production in the coming months, resulting in much higher levels of production,” the official stated.