After eight months of Washington and other NATO members pouring billions of dollars of arms and other military equipment into Ukraine, the proxy war has depleted the allies’ weapons stockpiles, according to the Associated Press. "The allies expect the war will continue for months, maybe years, with both sides rapidly using up weapons supplies. Victory may come down to who can last longer," the report said.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin has said the Western policy is to "weaken" Russia. This proxy war of attrition strategy has largely emptied the arms stockpiles of both large and small NATO members. This has led to calls for ramped up production in these nations’ military-industrial complexes. Some countries have sent all of their Soviet-era weapons to Kiev and now await replacements courtesy of the American arms industry on which these European NATO members have long relied.
Tallinn has provided approximately one-third of its defense budget to Ukraine, the stockpile strain comes up "all the time," Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said. The Baltic state, which shares a 183-mile border with Russia, recently passed a 42.5% military budget increase to replenish its stocks. Fueling the war in Ukraine with weapons “is burning through [the] ammunition reserve. Just burning through it,” Dovilė Šakalienė, a member of Lithuania’s Parliament told the AP. "In certain situations, we left ourselves with a bare minimum," she added. Berlin’s Defense Ministry said the "Bundeswehr’s stocks are limited. Just as it is the case in other European countries."
The AP report cites analysis by the Germany-based Kiel Institute which reveals "Norway has provided more than 45% of its stock of howitzers, Slovenia has committed nearly 40% of its tanks and the Czech Republic had sent about 33% of its multiple launch rocket systems." At a recent NATO Defense Ministerial meeting in Brussels, Austin implored alliance members to "dig deep and provide additional capability" to Ukraine.
In pursuit of Russia’s "strategic defeat," Washington has pledged more than $67 billion to Kiev’s war effort. That figure is larger than Moscow’s entire 2021 military budget. Members of both parties in Congress are reportedly planning another massive aid package for Ukraine that is said to cost at least $50 billion, which would bring total spending on the war to more than $115 billion.
So far, U.S. military aid provided to Ukraine, since the war began, totals over $17.5 billion. A now-redacted CBS report, which included on the ground sources, exposed that potentially 60-70% of the weapons being shipped never reach the front lines. Washington’s massive funding of the proxy war has reportedly left US artillery stockpiles “uncomfortably low.” However, the Pentagon will not produce data on its stockpiles.
"The Washington-based Stimson Center research group estimates the Ukraine war has reduced the US stockpiles of Javelin anti-tank weapons by as much as one-third and Stinger missile inventories by 25%. It’s also put pressure on artillery supplies because the U.S.-manufactured M777 Howitzer is no longer in production," the AP report said.
Before becoming Secretary of Defense, Austin sat on the board of Raytheon. Stingers are made by Raytheon, Javelins are jointly manufactured by Raytheon and Lockheed Martin. Last month, the German parliamentary budget committee approved a 560 million euro ($548 million) contract for 600 Navy guided missiles produced by Raytheon. Berlin is also developing long-term contracts for high grade munitions including Stingers.
Connor Freeman is the assistant editor and a writer at the Libertarian Institute, primarily covering foreign policy. He is a co-host on the Conflicts of Interest podcast. His writing has been featured in media outlets such as Antiwar.com, Counterpunch, and the Ron Paul Institute for Peace and Prosperity. He has also appeared on Liberty Weekly, Around the Empire, and Parallax Views. You can follow him on Twitter @FreemansMind96.
Well, I’m not actually weeping over depleted US armaments. Except of course they will be replenished, at untold cost by US taxpayers. Here is fun chart of US defense spending — up & to the right!
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/a98a1c38a514a67403e9df4d1ca91f84d62db9bf727b4d2e99105c24535fb44f.png
It’s all about keeping the U.S. Offense Industry money rolling in. These people don’t desire a world at peace just as law enforcement doesn’t really desire an end to crime as it would mean fewer jobs and less bank for them.
Gee. Maybe that’s an indication Wash. is going to war?
They are on the black market. The US gov’t admitted they weren’t keeping track of where the arms end up.
Give us a link I would love a Javelin
You have to go there.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyYlaZ0PEgA
Sure stuff gets lost in war, half of Ukraines tanks are now ex Russian tanks but I am expecting stuff on ebay
Weren’t those the Duds with changed internal components and tracking devices they let the Russians find on purpose? Hope they didn’t take them to their ammo depots.
Don’t panic John, it’s almost Christmas time and Hanukkah. You have time to put your requests in, just don’t go directly to the DOD… You have to have special clout for that… But I do believe that Santa has a direct link…
Anyone remember movie Kelly’s Heroes about WWII “free-enterprise” sidetrip to get German gold? Studio cut out much anti-war stuff, but still worth watching. Great cast; great role for Donald Sutherland as proto-hippie.
We sure could use a guy like Crapgame played by the great Don Rickles… ” Make a DEAL!”
Isn’t it magical when the Military Industrial Complex combines with Capitalistic principles and endeavors?! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
“Peace on Earth, good will towards men”? Yeah, right.
Blaming capitalism for MIC endeavor is like complaining about shoes having soles. The sweet isn’t sweet without the sour.
Healthy cynicism…
Russia will be getting arms from India / China / Iran and many other countries , anyone who thinks Russia is isolated better think again , the majority of countries in the world don`t even back the sanctions on Russia , and the yanks don`t like it one bit.
India, China and Iran. Wow. There are three counties that are model of democracy. .
I do not think that JJ was necessarily concerned with models of democracy, besides, there are no better examples of this kind of ineptitude than in capitalistic systems or democracies, as you describe…
Yes, the U.S. is certainly a model of ‘democracy’ at this point.
Do you want your cake and eat it too?….
Not sure what you’re referring to?
Democracy and Capitalism…
Sorry, I just don’t follow you.
Are you certain you are not a Socialist?
Judge Louis Brandeis said long ago that you.can’t gave Capitalism and Democracy.He was right Instead of feeding and housing our people we have become cops of the world whether other countrys like it or not.It only.has been going on for 200 years of killing and stealing.other peoples resources and freedoms.If the US does not like your political look out bombs are coming.
This is what happens when you wage war for the wrong reasons.Other countrys recognize what you are about and unite against your policy fearing they will be next.The US is the bully.on the block,not Russia.There is much money in war materials the basic need of Capitalism.As long as it is not Americans dying everything is hunky dory.Not too many Americans.hnow or care about the history of this conflict because the MSM is bought and paid for.
Yup. The USA wants to make sure that no other country gets to do what the USA is already doing.
I believe Russia had known that things would come to this., and have prepared. Constant provocation and rhetoric by the West could only lead to confrontation. So evil that the West has used Ukraine.
Sorry, Russia is not that smart.
I would think getting rid of weapons over all is a positive thing.
How big is little Ukraine?…. This stuff just boggles the mind! Billions of dollars pouring into Ukraine and to what definitive purpose? There are better store bought board games with better strategies than these…
Don’t Whiz on the Electric Fence
LOL!
what definitive purpose? That is simple to stop Putin from taking over Ukraine.
Full Spectrum Dominance. PNAC rules.
Well, after all, isn’t that what it’s all about? It’s all about making the other side pay more right and replacing weapons is expensive, but who is winning this race to the bottom?
The US is 32 trillion in debt with interest rates on the rise. Don’t be so sure we won’t bankrupt ourselves first, especially if it’s ten thousand dollar drones vs million dollar anti-air defense missiles. And of course inflation is sky high and that too will effect the replacement costs of everything. We bought these weapons on the cheap and the next generation of everything is even that much more expensive. They don’t prioritize affordability at all, it’s just high tech precision everything, as if that makes up for lack of numbers.
Of course if we would just stop playing world policeman we wouldn’t have to replace any of it and we would still have enough left over to keep our country safe for a thousand years.
Don’t worry, more weapons are being manufactured as I type. Same thing happened after WWII. Wash. used up the old weapons and bombs left over on the Koreans, destroying entire towns and villages in the process so the MIC had the excuse to manufacture more. That’s the reason N. Korea hates America so much. Curtis LeMay was in charge then. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-us-war-crime-north-korea-wont-forget/2015/03/20/fb525694-ce80-11e4-8c54-ffb5ba6f2f69_story.html
In the Western systen of corporate run states, the only purpose for the existence of state is to maximuze corporate profit. What happens downstream does not matter, as it is only a function of profit/loss consequences. This is why reset is needed — and the current disaster of economies of the West is just speeding up the process,
Comparisons between expenditures between Western countries and China or Russia are thus meaningless.
Hope it has been noted how China has carefully calibrated economic growth to avoid being the engine pulling Western economies out of financial quagmire as it did in 2008 crisis.
Scholtz is going to China.
Russia has the edge in this fight. Their arms industry is a state controlled industry that’s no where near the scale of Yankee corruption. Their stuff might not be fancy but it works good enough and they can crank it out fast.
They also have an enormous capacity to endure pain and sacrifice while our people haven’t experienced war since Sherman marched through the South… Which seems to be war strategy they’ve adopted.
Russia may have the edge but it’s not showing it. The only edge they have currently is the ability to terrorize the population by targeting the civilian infrastructure and residents however, Ukrainian, like Russians, also have the capacity to endure pain as it is shown in todays war.
Corruption? You should read more into Russian corruption. It’s perhaps the root cause of their inability to take Ukraine. The lack of equipment is not accident. It’s their leadership taking a cut $ for all the military equipment orders. I understand your love for Putin but it pays to be a bit objective in these topics.
Here’s a great analysis/documentary on Russian Military Corruption if you care to learn a bit.
https://youtu.be/i9i47sgi-V4
A great recommendation. Perun’s analyses are consistently excellent.
Glad someone liked it. 👍
I’ll remind you that your Nazis have terrorized the people of Donbass for the last eight years and have squandered the aid provided them by foreign interests.
The level of graft on the Russian side is nothing compared to our kleptocracy.
You might have a believable argument if the Russian army acted professionally and only attacked military targets in an attempted to defend the people of Donbass. But they did not.
As you’ve swallowed NATO propaganda hook line and sinker, I’d say you set the bar pretty low when it comes to believable arguments.
The Russian MOD is disarming NATO, tank by tank, artillery by artillery, air defense by air defense. What they lose in the Ukraine, they lose for the final war. This is what a war of attrition is.
Russia is inflicting a 10:1 kill ratio. And NATO overall has the following equipment losses;
325 Aircraft, 162 helicopters, 2308 UAV’s, 383 Anti Aircraft systems, 5967 tanks inc APC’s, 874 multiple rocket launchers, 3516 rocket launchers and 6709 military automotive equipment.
Disarm and Denazification, not of Ukraine but EU and NATO. Europe will be Denazified, the US can continue to rot in its own pile of Nazi filth.