Ukrainian military soldiers take part in an exercise 150 km. away from Kiev, on September 11, 2014. Sergei Chuzavkov/AP
Why Sending Weapons to Ukraine Would Be a Terrible Idea for the US
Even if sending arms to Ukraine were a good idea, it would come too late. By Michael Kofman
The Ukraine Freedom Support Act, passed last month by the US senate’s Foreign Relations Committee, could mark a new kind of policy for the US in Ukraine. It doesn’t propose new sanctions, or the “major non-NATO ally” designation for Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, but instead grants permission to send Ukraine a variety of weapons, ammunition, and specialized equipment to fill gaps in its current military’s capabilities, with $350 million authorized for this fiscal year.
It’s a clear statement of US commitment and is written with the best of intentions. But it completely misunderstands what Ukraine needs. And if the US goes down this road, it will be sleepwalking into a proxy conflict with Russia. That could prove as damaging for Ukraine as it did for the countries that hosted similar geopolitical competitions throughout the Cold War.
Read more at Quartz.