In the early 1980s, American-designed 155 millimeter shells rolled out of factories in Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway and Turkey. . And in 2022, Australia, Bosnia, the Czech Republic, Israel, Slovakia, South Korea and Spain are also among the contact group countries.
Does Russia have access to a similar type of network?
Not really. Although Russia has traditionally been a major arms exporter, it has struggled to resupply its forces in Ukraine. Fewer and fewer countries are making Soviet-era ammunition these days.
In recent months, Russia has purchased and deployed deadly Iranian-made drones during the war, according to Ukrainian officials. And Russia is buying millions of artillery shells and rockets from North Korea, according to declassified US intelligence (although North Korea denies this). It is unclear whether China, which before the war declared its partnership with Russia to be unlimited, sold or gave arms to Moscow.
Which allies provide the most ammunition to Ukraine?
The United States is providing about three times as much ammunition to Ukraine as all the other members of the contact group combined, according to Pentagon officials. But other nations are also making important contributions.
Mr. LaPlante told reporters this month that the Pentagon would purchase an additional 250,000 155-millimeter rounds for Ukraine from several companies around the world, and Douglas R. Bush, the military’s top procurement official , said that these projectiles came from five countries.
Which countries, however, Mr. Bush would not say
Jean Ismay reported from Washington, and Lara Jacques from Brussels.