US arms exports worth more than $5 billion to Ukraine and other NATO allies have been delayed due to the shutdown. This is an estimate from the State Department, relaunched by Axios which cites a senior official according to whom the freezing of federal activities «is actually harming both our allies and partners and US industry, which are unable to provide many of these critical capabilities abroad.
The consequences are being felt in the delivery of weapons, including Amraam missiles, Aegis and Himars combat systems, to allies such as Denmark, Croatia and Poland. The final destination of the exports is unclear, but weapons sold to NATO allies are often transferred to Ukraine.
As Axios recalls, the transactions pending due to the shutdown include both the sale of arms directly from the US to NATO allies, and the granting of licenses for the export of arms to private American companies in the defense sector. The process, which is normally simple, is blocked by a lack of staff.
From the State Department, spokesman Tommy Pigot pointed the finger at the Democrats who, with the clash against the Republicans in Congress over the budget, “are blocking sales of critical weapons, including to our NATO allies, which damages the US industrial base and puts our security and that of our partners at risk.”