The first anniversary of the war in Ukraine is fast approaching, and we still have a lot of questions regarding who specifically benefits from prolonging funding for the ongoing war.
When you think of groups that might want the war to continue, three come to mind: Vladimir Putin, China, and the military industrial complex. While it seems simple on the surface, it's worth taking some time to explore exactly how each of these groups would be motivated to prolong a war in Ukraine.
First, Putin would want the war to continue for the simple reason that, as long as the war goes on, Ukraine will not join the European Union nor NATO. That's important because Putin wants to keep the power dynamics between the East and Western powers relatively equal.
Next, China. As long as America is the primary benefactor for Ukraine, then we are not actively preparing for a war with China. Obviously, this would support Chinese interests because we're spending billions of dollars that could have been spent on furthering our military capabilities, instead of preparing for a global war with China.
Finally, the military industrial complex benefits from the war in Ukraine because they get to sell more of their products at a higher cost. The bottom line is to make more money, sell more missiles, and line their pockets. If you'd like to learn more about the vested interests in the ongoing Ukrainian war, please read this article from The Federalist. The following is a small excerpt from the article, which explains the situation in greater detail:
As long as a state of war persists in Ukraine, even at a low simmer, Putin achieves his goal: Ukraine will not be part of NATO. As President Eisenhower cautioned, an overly powerful military-industrial complex risks putting its own interests and the truth at odds with America’s interests. Finally, China has greatly benefited from the ways America has squandered the post-Cold War era. American foreign policy needs strategic depth, not the same flawed approach that has left America less free, less safe, and more burdened by debt.
The war in Ukraine cannot be ignored, and as we approach the first anniversary of Russia's invasion, we need to ask ourselves the tough questions. Namely, how long will we be willing to fund this war when it puts us at a disadvantage, and who wants to continue the war to benefit their own personal interests?
