Due to the prolonged partial shutdown of the US government, US arms exports worth more than 5 billion dollars destined for NATO allies and Ukraine have been suspended. This was reported by the Axios publication.
In particular, deliveries of AMRAAM missiles, Aegis and HIMARS systems for Denmark, Croatia and Poland were affected. The media outlet notes that the final destination of the exports is unclear, but the weapons sold to NATO allies are often transferred to help Ukraine.
According to a senior US State Department official, the shutdown hurts both US allies and partners, as well as US industry, which “ships many of these critical assets overseas.” He notes that pending transactions include both arms sales directly from the US government to NATO allies and the licensing of private US defence companies for arms exports.
Axios notes that the U.S. arms sales process has usually been straightforward, but the Arms Export Control Act requires Congress to review arms sales proposals.
Many State Department employees, whose duty it is to brief congressional committee staff and ensure the process is completed, have been furloughed, causing a slowdown.
Last month, the State Department’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs was working at about a quarter of its normal staff to support gun sales, the official told Axios.
“Democrats are delaying critical weapons sales, particularly to our NATO allies, which hurts the U.S. industrial base and jeopardises our security and that of our partners,” said State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott.
Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman James Risch stressed that the bureaucratic pause gives China and Russia an advantage while “the US defence base suffers and the needs of our allies go unmet.”
The ongoing government shutdown in the US has become the longest in the country’s history. The temporary suspension of the US government, which occurs when Congress fails to agree on funding for government agencies, began on 1 October and is now in its 40th day.
The previous record was set in early 2019, during Donald Trump’s first term. Back then, the shutdown lasted 34 days and 21 hours.
Congress can not agree on funding the government, as Democrats insist on extending tax credits for health insurance and allocating funds for preferential healthcare programmes. the Republicans refuse to support these demands.
Because of the shutdown, 650,000 federal government workers are on unpaid leave. Another 600,000 people working in critical areas are forced to work without getting paid (usually after the shutdown is over, the time worked is paid).