Ukraine War Delaying Arms Deliveries to Taiwan 美媒:美為援烏 對台軍售嚴重延宕交貨

The Wall Street Journal has reported that the flow of weapons from the U.S. to Ukraine to support the ongoing war against Russia has resulted in a backlog of weapons shipments to Taiwan. The U.S. National Security Council said the U.S. takes its responsibility to provide Taiwan with self-defense capabilities very seriously.

The U.S. has sent a steady flow of weapons to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February. A recent Wall Street Journal report said the huge amount of arms destined for Ukraine has resulted in a nearly US$19 billion backlog of weapons shipments to Taiwan.

John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications, US NSC: “And of course, we're going to continue to look at what the next iteration of that needs to look like and when that would occur. But we take very seriously our responsibility to help provide Taiwan the self-defense capabilities that - that it needs. That's in accordance with law and policy, and that's not going to change.”

U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said the U.S. is constantly balancing its own inventories, the inventories of allies and partners and people it conducts arm sales with, and the inventory that Ukraine needs to fight Russia, and described this as a balancing act. According to Kirby, U.S. President Joe Biden just recently signed "another billion dollars of Taiwan arm sales," and the U.S. will look at what the next iteration of needs looks like and when that would occur. However, he refused to directly answer whether there are shipment backlogs to Taiwan.

Sun Li-fang, Spokesperson, Ministry of National Defense: “Generally speaking, all current U.S. weapons sales to us are being carried out in accordance with procedures. The details and progress of the ongoing cases are confidential so we will not give an explicit explanation.”

The Ministry of National Defense said U.S. arms sales are being carried out in accordance with procedures, and it is working with various divisions to ensure punctual deliveries. However, two separate orders for 208 Javelin antitank weapons and 215 surface-to-air Stinger missiles placed in December 2015 have yet to arrive in Taiwan.

俄烏戰爭從2月開始以來，美國持續向烏克蘭提供武器，《華爾街日報》報導指出，由於美國大量軍援烏克蘭，已經導致武器供應出現缺口，對台軍售因此延宕交貨，累計已達近190億美元。

美國白宮國安會發言人柯比表示：「當然我們會評估下一次，更迭需求為何以及何時提供，我們十分認真看待責任，並協助提供台灣所需自我防衛能力，這符合法律與政策並不會改變。」

白宮國安會發言人柯比在記者會表示，美方不斷平衡自身、盟友、合作夥伴和銷售武器方及烏軍庫存，這是平衡行為，也重申拜登政府日前才簽署10億美元的對台軍售協議，美方會評估下次更迭的需求和何時提供，但對台交付軍售設備是否有積壓的情況，柯比則不願意正面回應。

國防部發言人孫立方表示：「整體來說，目前所有美方對我們的軍售都按照程序進行，至於這些執行當中的案子，它的細節進度都屬於雙方機密，我們不會對外做一個明確的說明。」

國防部強調美方軍售一切按照程序進行，與各個部會共同努力，希望如期如質完成，不過目前包含2015年12月台灣訂購的208組標槍反戰車武器、215枚刺針防空飛彈，2筆訂單至今仍未交付運抵台灣。