Back in the 1940s‚ Americas support helped defeat nazi Germany through the historic Lend-Lease program. Now with Donald Trump possibly returning to office in jan-2025‚ US allies face a different future
The president-elect has made his position clear:
no more. You got to make a deal
Over next few months Joe Bidenʼs administration needs quick action to support Ukraine‚ The Pentagon already started using up remaining aid but theres more to be done
A new mega-deal could mirror the previous $60.8b package from spring-24; giving Ukraine direct access to weapon-buying funds. This follows the G-7s plan to transfer $50b in frozen Russian money which needs to happen before jan-20
The reformed Ukrainian defense system looks ready for such support:
- Clean procurement process
- Direct manufacturer contracts
- Strong anti-corruption measures
- Independent oversight board
Maryna Bezrukova – an experienced reformer leads the defense procurement agency (created in aug-22) with Artem Sytnyk as deputy. Their work already shows results: arms dealers trying to attack them through social-media proves the new systems working
The proposed Buy American Weapons Act would create jobs in many US states:
* Arizona gun trucks
* Texas artillery shells
* Alabama missiles
* South Carolina F-16s
If Congress adds export-block protection Ukraine could buy non-US weapons if needed. This kind of support might be last chance to keep democratic values safe in Europe