HomeUSAUkraine's Zelenskyy Visits Pennsylvania Ammunition Plant to Thank Workers and Ask for...

Ukraine’s Zelenskyy Visits Pennsylvania Ammunition Plant to Thank Workers and Ask for More

Published on

Weekly Newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

SCRANTON, Pa. — Under tight security, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday visited a Pennsylvania ammunition factory to thank the workers who are producing one of the most critically needed munitions for his country’s fight to fend off Russian ground forces.

Rep. Matt Cartwright, a Democrat who was among those who met with Zelenskyy at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant, said the president had a simple message: “Thank you. And we need more.”

The Scranton plant is one of the few facilities in the country to manufacture 155 mm artillery shells and has increased production over the past year. Ukraine has already received more than 3 million of them from the U.S.

Zelenskyy said he expressed his gratitude to all the employees at the plant.

“It is in places like this where you can truly feel that the democratic world can prevail,” he wrote on X. “Thanks to people like these — in Ukraine, in America, and in all partner countries — who work tirelessly to ensure that life is protected.”

Zelenskyy’s visit kicked off a busy week in the United States. He will speak at the U.N. General Assembly annual gathering in New York on Tuesday and Wednesday and then travel to Washington for talks on Thursday with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, as he seeks to shore up support for Ukraine.

The area around the ammunition plant had been sealed off since Sunday morning, with municipal garbage trucks positioned across several roadblocks and a very heavy presence of city, regional and state police, including troopers on horseback.

As Zelenskyy’s large motorcade made its way to the ammunition plant in the afternoon, a small contingent of supporters waving Ukrainian flags assembled nearby to show their appreciation for his visit.

“It’s unfortunate that we need a plant like this, but it’s here, and it’s here to protect the world,” said Vera Kowal Krewson, a first-generation Ukrainian American who was among those who greeted Zelenskyy’s motorcade. “And I strongly feel that way.”

She said many of her friends’ parents have worked in the ammunition plant, and she called Zelenskyy’s visit “a wonderful thing.”

Laryssa Salak, 60, whose parents also immigrated from Ukraine, aid she was pleased Zelenskyy came to thank the workers. She said it upsets her that funding for Ukraine’s defense has divided Americans and that even some of her friends oppose the support, saying the money should go to help Americans instead.

“But they don’t understand that that money does not directly go to Ukraine,” Salak said. ”It goes to American factories that manufacture, like here, like the ammunition. So that money goes to American workers as well. And a lot of people don’t understand that.”

The 155 mm shells made in the Scranton plant are used in howitzer systems, which are towed large guns with long barrels that can fire at various angles. Howitzers can strike targets up to 15 miles to 20 miles (24 kilometers to 32 kilometers) away and are highly valued by ground forces to take out enemy targets from a protected distance.

With the war now well into its third year, Zelenskyy has been pushing the U.S. for permission to use longer range missile systems to fire deeper inside of Russia.

So far he has not persuaded the Pentagon or White House to loosen those restrictions. The Defense Department has emphasized that Ukraine can already hit Moscow with Ukrainian-produced drones, and there is hesitation on the strategic implications of a U.S.-made missile potentially striking the Russian capital.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that Russia would be “at war” with the United States and its NATO allies if they allow Ukraine to use the long-range weapons.

At one point in the war, Ukraine was firing between 6,000 and 8,000 of the 155 mm shells per day. That rate started to deplete U.S. stockpiles and drew concern that the level on hand was not enough to sustain U.S. military needs if another major conventional war broke out, such as in a potential conflict over Taiwan.

In response the U.S. has invested in restarting production lines and is now manufacturing more than 40,000 155 mm rounds a month, with plans to hit 100,000 rounds a month.

Two of the Pentagon leaders who have pushed that increased production through — Doug Bush, assistant secretary of the Army for acquisition, logistics and technology and Bill LaPlante, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer — were to join Zelenskyy at the plant. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, also joined the Ukrainian president.

The 155 mm rounds are just one of the scores of ammunition, missile, air defense and advanced weapons systems the U.S. has provided Ukraine — everything from small arms bullets to advanced F-16 fighter jets. The U.S. has been the largest donor to Ukraine, providing more than $56 billion of the more than $106 billion NATO and partner countries have collected to aid in its defense.

Even though Ukraine is not a member of NATO, commitment to its defense is seen by many of the European nations as a must to keep Putin from further military aggression that could threaten bordering NATO-member countries and result in a much larger conflict.

—-

Copp reported from Washington.

Story Continues

© Copyright 2024 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Read the full article here

Latest articles

The Best Bike Trainers of 2024

While we’d almost always prefer to ride outside, sometimes it’s just not feasible. Limited daylight,...

Armed Citizen Saves Florida Woman and Her Kids From Carjacking

When Florida adopted its permitless carry law last year, gun control advocates were quick...

Up for Any Adventure: Outdoor Research Women’s Ferrosi Pants Review

Wind-resistant and quick-drying, these pants are up for adventures in almost any condition. A...

Editorial Tries to Reframe NY Sensitive Places Law After Court Loss

New York lost in the Bruen case and suddenly couldn't bar just about everyone...

More like this

Where Did The Myth Of Overpopulation Come From?

This article was originally published by Rhoda Wilson at The Daily Exposé. Population alarmists who...

50+ Soup Canning Recipes for a Rainy Day

There’s nothing like the convenience of home-canned soup when you need a quick, wholesome...

Saving ‘Souls of Communities’: TGR Highlights Power of Indy Pass in New Documentary

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTj2F7YDHUs As huge corporations like Vail Resorts and Alterra Mountain Company grow and acquire new...

Active Recovery With KEEN: Nolan John’s Weekend in Austin

When ultra runner and sobriety enthusiast Nolan John isn’t racking up miles in the...

Walz’s Gun Handling Elicits Howls of Ridicule From Across the Internet

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has done everything he can to position himself as a...

Beyond 5.56: Top Chamberings for MSRs

Modern sporting rifles, particularly the AR-15 and AR-10 platforms, have...