Ukraine Looks To Pakistan As Western Weapons Stockpile Runs Dry

The Ukrainian government is looking towards Pakistan to fulfill its weapons need as the stock of ammunition in the western warehouses is starting to run dry.

Dmitro Kuleba, the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, will visit Pakistan on very short notice where, according to a report by ET, he is expected to ask for more ammunition supply from Pakistan.

This comes amid the reportedly faltering Ukrainian counter offensive in the southern-eastern province of Zaporizhia, on account of shortage of ammuniton.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) and western countries have already admitted to a shortage in ammunition stockpiles, and the US decision to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions is a direct result of this shortage.

Kuleba, according to reports, is expected to meet Pakistan's Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and military authorities.

Ukraine and Pakistan have strong military relations in the past, so much so, that Ukraine has supplied Pakistan with more than $1.6 billion worth of arms, including 320 T-80 tanks.

Pakistan has also, on multiple occasions, supplied artillery ammunition to Ukraine, since the start of war, ostensibly to get a quid pro quo from the west to secure an International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout package.

According to reports, Pakistan last year served as an air-bridge where UK Air Force C-17 transport aircrafts flew twice daily for three weeks, to deliver weapons to Ukraine, via Romania from Rawalpindi air base in Pakistan.

Pakistan then, earlier this year, delivered another consignment containing 159 containers of 155 mm artillery shells, M4A2 propelling bag charges, M82 primers and PDM fuse to Ukraine, via Gdansk port in Poland.

Last month as well, Pakistan shipped a large consignment of equipment including air defence vehicles, multiple barrel rocket launchers, recovery vehicles and spare parts, to Ukraine, via Gdansk port in Poland and Aqaba Naval Base in Jordan.

According to the ET report, Pakistan has even opened a weapons trading branch in Warsaw — capital of Poland — to smoothen the weapons flow to Ukraine.

Interestingly, this comes after just two days after (12 July), IMF executive board approved a $3 billion bailout package for Pakistan.

This approval by the IMF, for financial support to Pakistan has raised allegations of it being a reward for the continuous supply of weapons to Ukraine, thus potentially serving as an indication to persist in such supply, thereby enabling western nations to keep the pot boiling in Ukraine.

(Also Read: A Quid Pro Quo With The US? Why Pakistan Is Supplying Weapons To Ukraine, Explained)