US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan spoke to Fox News’ Shannon Bream during a “Fireside Chat” as part of the 2024 Reagan National Defense Forum on Sunday. The wide-ranging interview covered a number of current US security related issues including the situation in Syria, the apparent cooperation between Iran, Russia, North Korea, and China, the situation in Gaza and the policies of the Biden administration towards the Middle East in general.
Towards the end of the session, he was asked to respond to criticism from leading Democrats that Washington’s support for Ukraine had been “too little too late.”
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Sullivan answered: “We have spent every dollar that Congress has given to us, and we’ve been waiting for Congress to give us more money, not the other way around.”
He then went on to admit that the US military had raised questions about the suitability of some of the weapon systems that had been dispatched and particularly referenced the 31 M1 Abrams tanks that had been sent to Kyiv.
He said that the tanks had been “actually undermanned because it’s not the most useful piece of equipment for them in this fight, exactly as our military said.”
This covered up the reality that many of the Abrams provided to Ukraine, which had arrived ahead of schedule, had been stripped of their superior depleted uranium armor and much of their modern fire control and communication systems. Several tanks were non-operational on arrival in Ukraine and were required to be repaired before they could be used.
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As many as 20 of the Abrams were destroyed, disabled, or captured as the result of Russian artillery strikes, kamikaze drones, and tank-on-tank engagements. Ukrainians found the size of the tank made it a conspicuous battlefield target. The tanks also suffered recurring mechanical and technical problems, including electronic components that failed under the effects of condensation.
Despite the fact that around 200 Ukrainian soldiers had been trained to operate and maintain the tanks in Germany the logistical complexities of maintaining the tanks eventually became too much of a burden.
Retired US Army General Mark Hertling, said in an interview in June that the Abrams was a technological marvel but its logistical demands are immense.
“These are incredible tanks, but they require a sophisticated supply chain to keep them running. Fuel consumption is enormous, and they demand specialized maintenance that could strain Ukraine’s existing capabilities,” Hertling is quoted as saying.
Australia is currently in the process of sending another 49 Abrams tanks, pending Washington’s approval as part of its latest $245 million military aid package for Ukraine.
As part of his attempts to justify the level of support to Ukraine, Sullivan said, as previously reported by KyivPost, that Ukraine couldn’t fill the F-16 fighter pilot training slots the US offered, whereas Ukraine said there were too few places available to take all of its pilots.
Sullivan said that focusing on these types of capability misses the point. He said the war in Ukraine is about munitions, and that the US has “surged munitions to an unbelievable degree, as fast as humanly possible.”
He said the US had told “everyone who buys air defense from the United States: Wait in line; we’re sending it all to Ukraine.” He then added that the US had provided “cluster munitions and now land mines so they [Ukraine] could defend their territory effectively,” in spite of what some said were controversial weapons.
Asked about ATACMS long-range strike weapons he said: “The issue there has always been both the size of the US arsenal, the shot volume capable, and here too, when we were able to develop a sufficient number of these to send, we sent them for their use. And then, when the Russians took certain actions, we authorized their use inside Russian territory, which has happened now.”
Sullivan said that the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had been instrumental in bringing more than 50 nations on board to provide weapons and munitions through the “Ramstein” Ukrainian Defense Contact Group.
He finished by saying that the first reason for Ukraine’s success to date is down to the bravery of its people but that the “second reason is because of the munitions provided by the United States of America. And I’m damn proud of what we have done to help Ukraine stand up for its freedom.”
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