By Benjamin Giltner
After six months since Russia's February 24 invasion, Ukraine wants more guns. And the US plans to oblige.
The newest aid package, $3 billion worth, is set to include drones and other weapons. Since the start of this war, the US has sent more than $10 billion in military aid to Ukraine.
Some critics of such aid point out its costs. Politicians like Thomas Massie come to mind when thinking of such detractors. Others are concerned about the decreasing weapons stockpiles the US will have after these weapons shipments. More weapons sent to Ukraine means less weapons for us to use.
However, two questions still need answering: Where might these arms shipments end up? What are their long-term security consequences? The answer to both: We're not sure.
This answer should make people more cautious of these massive arms shipments. Jordan Cohen from the Cato Institute brings up this concern over weapons shipments, saying that this could pose a problem 10 years from now.
NATO and EU members have been generous in sending weapons to Ukraine. However, they are growing concerned over where these weapons may end up and want a tracking system to trace the movement of these weapons. These are legitimate concerns. No one wants an adversary, or potential one, to get guns.
To mitigate this problem, the US needs to avoid opening the floodgates of arms shipments. Being the "indispensable nation" for weapons shipments throws out historical cases of when these shipments have come back to bite us.
This piece was originally published in Business Insider on August 31, 2022. Read more HERE.