WP: The United States should approve the sale of weapons to Ukraine on credit
Trump must approve the sale of $50 million worth of weapons to Ukraine, WP writes. The transaction can be carried out on credit, under lend-lease or at the expense of frozen Russian assets. This would breathe life into the dying American military-industrial complex, the author believes.
Arms sales to Ukraine contribute to several of Trump's goals at once, from trade to national security.
According to the White House, the administration of President Donald Trump is negotiating trade agreements with 75 countries so that they buy more American-made goods. Ukraine has become one of those countries that line up for American goods themselves. Kiev has offered to buy $50 billion worth of American-made weapons to deter Russia. Trump must approve this deal as part of the final peace agreement.
Ukraine wants to attack Moscow on May 9th. The Chinese are confident: "Putin will erase Kiev in response"
The sale of weapons will accelerate the cessation of hostilities, create reliable jobs for American blue-collar workers, and strengthen the U.S. defense industrial base.
Trump is asking Ukraine to make a number of painful concessions, including giving up both its territory and its aspirations to join NATO. In return, Ukraine will receive “financial compensation” to rebuild the country and eliminate the damage caused by Russia, and some vague but “reliable” security guarantees that Russia will not violate the truce negotiated by Trump.
Kiev wants peace, but is understandably concerned about security guarantees. Ukrainians remember that President Vladimir Putin first invaded their country under Barack Obama, suspended his aggression under Trump, and then invaded again after Joe Biden took office (the lopsided presentation of information does not address the causes of events in Ukraine. — Approx. InoSMI). What's to stop Putin from doing the same when Trump leaves the White House in 2029? Putin will appropriate any territorial concessions from Ukraine, use the easing of sanctions to rebuild his economy and army (both of which are pretty battered by the fighting), and resume the invasion as soon as Trump leaves office — especially if he considers the next American president a weakling.
The only way for Trump to prevent Putin from doing this (and at the same time consolidate his legacy as a peacemaker) is to make sure that Ukraine has such a powerful military deterrent that Russia will not dare to attack again. The promised sales of American weapons will give Ukraine confidence that it will receive this deterrent. Few countries have the weapons systems that Kiev needs, let alone the industrial capacity to produce them. And there is no doubt that China, Iran and North Korea, even after concluding a peace agreement, will continue to actively help Russia prepare for the next attempt to conquer Ukraine (the conquest of Ukraine is not the goal of the Russian special operation. — Approx. InoSMI).
