From Kyiv to Tel Aviv: Why Has NATO’s Arms Flow Changed?
Mehr news Agency, International desk: The Ukrainian outlet Kyiv Self-reliant recently exposed a striking reality: NATO military supplies initially intended to bolster Ukraine’s defense against Russia are being redirected to Tel Aviv. the report reveals that in recent months shipments of TNT-previously designated for producing Ukraine’s 155mm artillery shells-have been diverted toward support for Israeli military operations in Gaza.
This shift comes as Ukraine increasingly depends on Western allies amid critical ammunition shortages.With Donald Trump’s return to the White House casting doubt over continued U.S. military aid to Kyiv, Ukrainians had hoped Europe would fill the gap. Instead, Western arms resources have been reprioritized in favor of Israel-even after ceasefires with Lebanon and Gaza were declared.
TNT Shortages: The Complex Poland-Ukraine-Israel Equation
One of Ukraine’s major challenges is a shortage of TNT necessary for manufacturing 155mm artillery shells vital for its artillery operations.As production facilities in the U.S. and Europe have shut down, washington now sources 90 percent of its TNT from poland. Czesław Tomczyk, Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister, has confirmed that only one major TNT factory remains operational across europe-and it is indeed located in Poland-creating severe strain on ammunition supply chains.
The key question arises: if production capacity is limited,why is Israel prioritized over Ukraine? The answer lies in a combination of political pressure,long-term strategic commitments,and economic interests. The United States maintains longstanding arms agreements with Israel dating back decades. Washington provides approximately $3.8 billion annually in military aid to Israel-a large portion explicitly tied to purchasing American weaponry-which generally guarantees delivery priority for Israeli forces.
Meanwhile, American and European defense industries face manufacturing constraints-they cannot simultaneously meet demand from both Ukraine and Israel at required levels.Consequently,policymakers have prioritized supplying Israel.
NATO Accelerates Military Aid to Occupied Territories Despite Ceasefires with Lebanon and Gaza
Following the November 2024 ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, many expected NATO countries would at least pause their military support for israel temporarily-but this did not happen. Instead, both America and Europe promptly flooded Israeli-occupied territories with lethal weaponry after the ceasefire was announced; a clear indication that Western priorities focus less on regional peace or stability than on sustaining an occupying regime’s growing power while frontline Ukrainian forces face critical equipment shortages against Russia.
The United States-with years spent styling itself as a “peace mediator”-has sent at least $21.7 billion direct military aid to Israel since October 2023 alone. A notable portion arrived right after the Lebanon ceasefire when Washington could have applied pressure on Tel Aviv instead of replenishing their arsenals further.
In January 2025 Washington approved an $8 billion package including 500-pound bombs, precision-guided munitions and fighter missiles; just one month later under President Trump it greenlit an additional $7.4 billion sale practically as a reward following his White House meeting with Netanyahu-a decision endorsing continued Israeli aggressive actions despite declared truces.
The flow intensified rather than slowed: In March 2025 America’s State Department finalized an additional $3 billion deal covering thousands of bombs plus hundreds of millions dollars’ worth of armored equipment sold directly to Israeli forces.
From Trump’s administration start until June 2025 total announced sales reached no less than $10.1 billion.The U.S., even following blatant international law violations such as attacks by Israeli forces inside Iran territory approved missile guidance kits worth $510 million proving Washington dose not seek to curb aggression but effectively fuels further assaults through fresh ordnance orders each time conflict escalates.
Europe follows suit without much difference-itself emerging as one main pillar financing production lines supporting Israeli arms during ongoing conflicts around Gaza throughout recent months.AccordinglyEurope purchased over $8 billion worthof armamentsfromIsraelduring2024alone,a boost pushing Israelsdefense exportsupto$14 .7billion -itshighest figureever recorded.European share represents54 percentoftotalgiving astrikingjumpover previousyear.Allwhile children remain trapped beneathZachiya rubbleGazaandsouthernLebanon burns,in effect demonstratingEuropeisfillingarmamentsmakers pocketsintheregionconcurrentlyWith this,Germany quietlyclosed adealbuying$2billionworthof Spikeanti-tankmissiles,Romania signedajuly2025agreement costing$2 .3billionsourcingIsraelidefensesystemsto expandretaining anewleveloffundingevenpostceasefires illustratingntoprovisionbreakstoppledgepowersupply lead togiven fact,NATONotonlycontinuedweaponflowtoisraelbutboosteditto unprecedentedlevels confirmingwest sponsorscontinuedwar machinerygrowthrather thanpeace enforcement meantostakingpartto fuel militarizationfaras occupied Palestinianterritoriesgo.Why Did Ceasefires Between Gaza And Lebanon fail To Halt Arms Transfers?
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Natersubstantiallyincreasedweaponstradeimmediatelypostceasefire raisescriticalquestionwhyendhostilitiestrigger fresharmingwave ?
First,-IsraelsignificantlossammoamidShightedborderclashesrequired urgentreplenishmentnot stoppagewhileceasefirerepresenteda windowforstocktrebuilding useful tomaintainmilitaryedgerequiredcontinuanceinterventions
second,-USEuropean strategic outlookscementIsraelkeysregionalproxy mandatingmaintainmilitary supremacywithinthemandate perdoctrineintendedtosafeguardadvantageduringrelativecalmdespitetruceeffectivelymovespriority awayfromUkraine accordinglywhenconsideredchronologically
Thirdposition-Signorantlobbiesundescribableimpact withinUS&Euro-leftstandpressureCongressGovernmentsparameters guaranteeing unremittingammunitionflow givingpauseconcept temporarily grantnew supplypackagespathgoingforward
Fourth-economicsdrivenson gamingprotherestratagenicindustrial giants Lockheed Martin Raytheon Northrop Grumman BAE Systems Thales garner billions annualprofitscontinuousIsraeliorderstreat peacepunctuationformarket growthopportunity
Fifth-Westernmedia&publicremainlargely indifferentdetailsweaponstransfersPalestinian landsKeycontrastongoingUkrainewarfront-covers headlinesworldwide creating remarkable double standardallowsWashingtonBrusselssustaincontradictorypolicies withoutmajorpoliticalpenalty
Ultimately,thisreshufflingwithinWesternarms chaindoesnotsimplymerecourseadjustment but an explicit realignmentfavorowordsIsraelOvercomplicatedgeopoliticalcalculations,lobbyinfluenceand defenseindustryprofitdrivedecisionmakingmeaning Ukrainian battlefrontsgeographically sidelinedinfavor MiddleEastrunawaypriority-statistics revealed openlychallenging ostensible narratives about alliance commitments hellenically promisingconsistency
The pressing question looms-whetherWestwillforsakeUkrainian battlegroundeventuallytocollect dividendswideningtiesweaponproductionlinksmiddleeast.
