Unfulfilled Pledges: Ukraine's Missed Interceptions Expose NATO's Weapons Shortage

Ukrainian forces failed to intercept 23 ballistic missiles on July 6, a gap President Zelenskyy attributed directly to insufficient interceptor stocks. The failure came hours before NATO leaders convened in Ankara to address alliance capacity constraints. US munitions are depleted from simultaneous conflicts in Ukraine and Iran—a shortfall the Pentagon flagged over a year ago. European allies now face pressure to increase defense spending to 5% of GDP while existing weapons deliveries remain delayed or cancelled.