Europe Rearms, America Profits and Ukraine Keeps Fighting

By Elijah J. Magnier

In February 2022, when Russia launched a war on Ukraine, European governments also made their own decisions: they imposed sanctions, reduced their dependence on Russian energy and committed themselves to supporting Kyiv. But four years later, the economic and strategic outcome is becoming impossible to ignore. Europe has exchanged dependence on relatively inexpensive Russian pipeline gas for growing dependence on more expensive and volatile liquefied natural gas, much of it supplied by the United States. It is committing hundreds of billions of euros to rearmament while purchasing a significant proportion of its weapons from American manufacturers. It finances arms transferred to Ukraine while Washington retains control over key weapons, intelligence, software, logistics and replacement parts.

Donald Trump nevertheless continues to claim that he wants to end the war. The facts suggest something more contradictory: Washington talks about peace while maintaining the military machinery that enables the conflict to continue—and increasingly asks Europe to pay for it.