Ukraine runs out of air defenses and the West has no spares
The British press admits that Ukrainian strikes are not stopping Russia and that Western missile stockpiles are running dry. Who will rearm Europe?
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Ukraine left without cover, and a Western industry that can't keep up
Paradoxical: while the West sells the image of a Ukraine that strikes back, the British press admits that attacks on Russia are mere "pinpricks to the bear." And the most serious problem is not on the Ukrainian front, but in missile factories around the world.
Strikes that fail to break Russia
According to the analysis published by The Spectator, Ukrainian drones and missiles against Russian infrastructure cause barely any strategic damage. Meanwhile, Ukraine's air defense stockpiles are being depleted by destruction and lack of replenishment. Western aid is not arriving, and not for lack of will: the military industry of the United States and Europe is stretched to the limit. In fact, the US would have barely enough reserves to defend itself.
Real shortage or calculated rationing?
Some argue that NATO has vast arsenals and is doling them out drop by drop to prolong the war; others reply that this theory is a mirage concealing the uncomfortable fact: the West has spent decades dismantling its weapons production capacity. If the warehouses were full, there would be no need for the United Kingdom to ask its factories to "produce more missiles for Ukraine," as the Spectator article itself demands. Nor do the warnings of the former head of the Ukrainian army help, pointing in the same direction: without missiles, there is no possible defense.
The uncomfortable question is whether Europe and the US can sustain a war of attrition without having rebuilt their industrial base. And if the answer is no, who will bear the political cost of admitting it?
Paradoxical: while the West sells the image of a Ukraine that strikes back, the British press admits that attacks on Russia are mere "pinpricks to the bear." And the most serious problem is not on the Ukrainian front, but in missile factories around the world.
Strikes that fail to break Russia
According to the analysis published by The Spectator, Ukrainian drones and missiles against Russian infrastructure cause barely any strategic damage. Meanwhile, Ukraine's air defense stockpiles are being depleted by destruction and lack of replenishment. Western aid is not arriving, and not for lack of will: the military industry of the United States and Europe is stretched to the limit. In fact, the US would have barely enough reserves to defend itself.
Real shortage or calculated rationing?
Some argue that NATO has vast arsenals and is doling them out drop by drop to prolong the war; others reply that this theory is a mirage concealing the uncomfortable fact: the West has spent decades dismantling its weapons production capacity. If the warehouses were full, there would be no need for the United Kingdom to ask its factories to "produce more missiles for Ukraine," as the Spectator article itself demands. Nor do the warnings of the former head of the Ukrainian army help, pointing in the same direction: without missiles, there is no possible defense.
The uncomfortable question is whether Europe and the US can sustain a war of attrition without having rebuilt their industrial base. And if the answer is no, who will bear the political cost of admitting it?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (11 replies).
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