By Arun Nair

Copyright timesnownews

The US has halted key weapons sales to European allies, citing domestic shortages, as Russia flexed its muscle around NATO borders and escalated threats across the continent. The development comes a little over a month after a top policy official in the Pentagon told a small group of allies that the US plans to play a minimal role in any Ukraine security guarantees, giving one of the clearest signs yet that Europe will need to shoulder the burden of keeping lasting peace in Kyiv. According to RBC-Ukraine news agency, the United States is pausing arms sales, including Patriot air defense systems, to certain European countries “as it does not see the value in certain arms sales” to them. The move is seen as a big jolt to Denmark which was closer to acquiring the Patriot air defense system, capable of intercepting ballistic missiles. The news outlet also reported US Secretary of Defence Elbridge Colby as saying that he was not in favor of selling Patriot systems to Denmark because they are in short supply and should be reserved for US use if needed. Copenhagen has now dropped plans to pursue MIM-104 Patriot surface-to-air missile battery for long-range defense, instead choosing the Franco-Italian SAMP/T, and picking from among European options for its mid-range needs. Officially, the Danish defense ministry said the decision was due to the higher price and a longer wait for delivery. “It is not a rejection of Patriots,” Pugholm Olsen, the head of the Danish defense ministry’s acquisitions body, said, according to Business Insider. “It’s a selection of what is best.” He said that “the decision to go with more than one or two suppliers enables shorter delivery times. This means that we can achieve our goal of a comprehensive ground-based air defense capacity as quickly as possible and in this way best support the rapid build-up of Danish combat power.” Denmark announced last week that it intended to procure European-produced systems for long- and medium-range air defense as part of a $9 billion investment. The Scandinavian country sees air defense systems as an urgent need to counter Russian aggression. Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s defense minister, called them a “top priority” and said these defenses would be present throughout the country.