According to a TASS report on December 4, "Ukrainska Pravda" quoted a *** report familiar with the content of the negotiations during the Pentagon's recent visit to Kyiv, pointing out that the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Zaluzhny put forward extremely huge military needs during his talks with US Secretary of Defense Austin, including 17 million artillery shells and $350 billion to $400 billion in financial support to help Ukraine get out of the current predicament.
The magnitude of this need apparently surprised US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Austin was told that Ukraine needed a staggering 17 million shells, a number that is almost impossible to meet globally. In addition, the amount of financial assistance proposed by Ukraine is also astronomical, amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars.
During the negotiations, the Ukrainian commander-in-chief also showed the US side the "preliminary ideas" of the General Staff of the Ukrainian army on long-term planning. This shows that the Ukrainian military not only has an urgent need for a short-term solution to the current battlefield situation, but is also considering longer-term strategic planning.
In addition, Zaluzhny complained to Austin that the Office of Ukraine had interfered in the command of the troops, which was not conducive to promoting trust between the two sides. This reflects the contradictions and tensions that exist within Ukraine at the military and political levels.
For now, the Ukrainian army is facing serious challenges. As the war continues, the Ukrainian army has a huge consumption of materials, especially in terms of artillery shells and other heavy **. In this context, Ukraine's dependence on external aid is also deepening.
At the same time, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also admitted that the EU will not be able to meet its target of producing 1 million artillery shells in 2023, but assured that it will increase annual production to 1 million in 2024. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made a similar pledge, noting that Washington has increased its investment in ammunition production by 50% due to Ukraine's consumption of large quantities of U.S.-supplied artillery shells.
In addition, ABC reports show that since Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip since October, U.S. artillery shells** against Ukraine have decreased by more than 30%. This has undoubtedly brought more difficulties to the military operation in Ukraine.
In summary, Ukraine's military and financial needs in the current conflict are extremely enormous, which not only poses a huge challenge to the support capacity of the United States and other Western countries, but also reflects the tensions within Ukraine at the military and political levels. Against this complex international and domestic backdrop, Ukraine's future is fraught with uncertainty and challenges.