(C) Daily Kos
This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE ... Emerging New Center of European Defense Industry [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-04-21
A historic Watershed Moment. March 6, 2025 … EU leaders formally unveiled a plan for a huge increase in defense spending … to the tune of 800 billion-euro ($841 billion) and to stand with Ukraine. A couple of days earlier, Ursula Von Der Leyen, President of the European Commission had indicated that in the process Ukraine must become a “Steel Porcupine” that is indigestible for potential invaders.
António Costa said the EU was ready to work with all European partners and other allies on a peace plan to Ukraine to ensure a just and lasting peace for Ukrainian people. “We must learn from the past. We cannot repeat the Minsk experience. We cannot repeat the Afghanistan tragedy. And for that, we need strong security guarantees. Peacemaking goes hand in hand with peacekeeping,” Costa told journalists. Ursula von der Leyen said that the comprehensive security guarantees include that Ukraine should be in a position of strength, with the means to strengthen and defend itself, from economic survival to military resilience. “It is basically turning Ukraine into a steel porcupine that is indigestible for potential invaders,” Von der Leyen said. She also suggested urgently to rearm Europe. At the next European Council, on 6 March, she will present a plan on how to do it. euneighbourseast.eu/...
Did anyone truly foresee this turn of events … Europa, bestirring herself in the face of the baleful tag team venality of Putin and Krasnov, finally deciding to stand up and rearm herself. And in the process extend an umbrella of protection to Ukraine? . Certainly not on the eve of February 24, 2022 when President Zelenskyy was offered a ride out of Kyiv for his own protection. Nor Vladimir Putin and his coterie of die-hard Russkyi Mir adherents in the Kremlin who confident of a quick victory launched their ill-fated Special Military Operation(SMO) into Ukraine. Most assuredly not Krasnov, whose entire adult career has been akin to a shark constantly circling on the look out for someone he can bully, browbeat, prey on and through the sheer force of extortionate practice, force into succumbing to his venality. It has seemingly always worked for him in America. Why not Europe?. Certainly poor old little Ukraine will be no problem. Wrong!
Krasnov’s plan, if he had any at all, was simply to lean hard on poor old little Ukraine, who he perceived as the weaker of the two sides in the war. Get Zelenskyy into the White House on some half-baked rare earth agreement, then give him a good dose of that vaunted Krasnovian volcanic, frothing at the mouth, spittle flying in your face public shake down. The weakling will quail, fall at the feet of Mighty Krasnov and sue for peace… thereby granting his puppet master extraordinaire, Putin, an unjustified conquest. And for Krasnov himself? it is all about vanity … “see I told you I will end the war in 24 hours after I got into the White House. Now where is my Nobel Peace Prize?”.
The plan back fired biggly. Zelenskyy, as he has proven in the course of the last three years, did not rattle. He stood his ground and gave as good as he got from both Krasnov and his sidekick, JD “the couch man”. And Zelenskyy's staunch defense of Ukraine and Europe at large was box office boffo not only in Europe but all over the world. Europe saw the moment it had been waiting for … to begin taking steps away from the over sized shadow of its intemperate ally, America. They have quickly rushed to the side of Ukraine, opening up not only their military stores but also loosening their national and regional purse strings. Norway, for example, recently tapped into its ginormous national oil wealth fund and committed an additional 8 billion Euros to Ukraine in addition to the nearly 3 billion Euros it has already earmarked in military aid. And others are quickly following suite… to the reported annoyance of some of the folks in the White House:
Trump officials 'fed up' with Europe's efforts to strengthen Ukraine, Economist reports Some Trump administration officials are dissatisfied with European countries' ongoing support for Ukraine, underscoring the growing rift between Washington and Europe, the Economist reported on April 15, citing undisclosed diplomatic sources. kyivindependent.com/...
Krasnov does not show any indication of resuming U.S. military aid to Ukraine. But Ukraine and Europe are taking it all in stride. Euromaidan reported recently President Zelenskyy’s announcement that Ukraine now domestically produces 40% of the weapons it uses on the front line:
Zelenskyy: Ukraine domestically produces 40% of weapons used on frontlines Ukraine aims to manufacture at least half of its required armaments domestically, however it continues to rely on international partners for more advanced systems. Domestic weapons production provides Ukraine with greater security independence during the ongoing war with Russia. However, the country still relies greatly on international partners for military support, particularly advanced systems like US-supplied ATACMS missiles, HIMARS rocket launchers and F-16 fighter jets.
One could imagine, however, that this percentage will scale up significantly in the coming months especially with Europe and other countries(especially Turkiye) now pouring money into Ukraine on the basis of joint ventures and reimbursement contracts known as the “Danish Model”:
Apart from directly sending weapons to Ukraine, allies also fund Ukraine’s domestic weapons production through reimbursement contracts under the Danish model. This model helped to grow Ukraine’s defense output, boosted drone production surpassing Russia’s, and reduced reliance on Western stockpiles.(emphasis mine) euromaidanpress.com/...
The “Danish Model” presages the evolving trend in which European countries in addition to or perhaps owing to their own dwindling stores, are tending toward direct investments in Ukraine’s burgeoning military-industrial complex:
Europe shifts strategy for Ukraine, focusing on defense industry funding In this new model, more European countries are considering investing in Ukraine's defense industry instead of sending already manufactured weapons. Additionally, this strategy allows NATO countries to use Ukraine as a testing ground for the development and testing of weapons, especially drones, on which NATO lacks Ukraine's level of experience. "It's a win-win. It’s cheaper for us. They need to produce. And the Ukrainians are teaching us a lot," a source familiar with the matter said. global.espreso.tv/...
More here:
Ukraine: European democracy’s affordable arsenal A future enlarged EU, including Ukraine, should take full advantage of the lower-cost military production capabilities of Ukraine Much more focus should be put on Ukraine’s ability, if fully integrated with the military-industrial sector in the rest of Europe, to produce much of the modern military equipment wanted by itself and the rest of Europe. This Policy Brief shows how Ukraine already produces drones and modern howitzers, arguably the two most important weapons in defensive warfare today, at prices well below those achieved by other Western military suppliers. The EU, with a fully integrated and funded Ukrainian military-industrial sector, will have the capacity to produce much of the cost-competitive military equipment it will need in future, while continuing to fund its welfare systems. To facilitate this development, the EU must in all defence and military-related matters begin treating Ukraine immediately as a full EU member. www.bruegel.org/...
And Europe learning from Ukraine is already happening as Denmark plans to send unarmed soldiers to Ukraine for drone warfare training
kyivindependent.com/…
ADAPTIVE INDOMITABLE UKRAINE, the once proverbial “rejected stone” is quickly becoming the corner stone of the emerging new European security architecture. Putin and Krasnov may huff and puff but Ukraine’s bright future is assured. Europe sees Ukraine as Europe. And that future is now irreversible.
SLAVA UKRAINI! PEREMOHA(Victory)!!
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/4/21/2317726/-ADAPTIVE-INDOMITABLE-UKRAINE-Emerging-New-Center-of-European-Defense-Industry?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
Published and (C) by Daily Kos
Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/
