President Donald Trump stated that the United States also needs missiles in response to Ukraine's request for missile support. This comes as discussions about the U.S. military's missile stockpile shortages gain traction, despite Trump's recent denials of weapon stock depletion.
On August 6, during a press conference at the White House, Trump addressed questions regarding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's request for air defense missiles. He noted that former President Joe Biden had provided "a tremendous amount" of military support to Ukraine, claiming, "Biden has given Zelensky weapons worth $300 billion." He added, "We also need missiles."
This statement follows Zelensky's recent appeal for additional interceptors to counter increasing Russian missile attacks. On August 5, Zelensky expressed on social media that, "If there had been missiles to intercept ballistic missiles, we could have saved those who died today," warning that delays in supplying interceptors or missile defense systems could lead to further large-scale casualties and destruction.
While Trump asserted that the U.S. has a robust arsenal, he hinted at shortages for certain types of weapons. He told reporters, "We have very powerful kinds of weapons, and we have virtually unlimited supply capabilities for those," but acknowledged, "However, there are other weapons where supply is a bit tight."
These comments come amid reports that the prolonged conflicts in Iran and Ukraine have significantly depleted U.S. missile stockpiles. The Washington Post reported that Trump had pressed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth about ammunition shortages during a Cabinet meeting at Camp David on July 31, expressing frustration over not being properly informed about the situation.
According to the Post, U.S. forces used over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and more than 1,000 Patriot and THAAD interceptors in the first month of the conflict. Additionally, over 1,300 Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) were reportedly fired in the initial weeks. Reuters and CNN also reported on August 4 that U.S. forces had utilized most of their ATACMS and precision strike missile (PrSM) stocks in the Iran conflict, leading to significant reductions in Tomahawk, THAAD, and Patriot inventories.
In response, Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, asserting, "The U.S. has a tremendous amount of weapons, especially in certain categories," countering claims of stock shortages. He stated, "Weapons are being produced in large quantities as needed and supplied to the U.S.," threatening to track down leakers of what he called treasonous claims and seek long prison sentences for them.
However, Trump's acknowledgment of shortages for some U.S. weapons raises concerns about missile stock depletion. Experts suggest that the U.S. missile stockpile was already lacking before the February onset of the Iran conflict, and the situation has worsened as the war continues. This could impact the U.S.'s ability to confront other adversarial nations, such as China and Russia.
Kelly Grieco, a senior fellow at the Stimson Center, told USA Today, "This situation will affect the U.S.'s long-term strategy," adding that it could take years to restore missile stockpiles to pre-war levels.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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