The Economist: Can Europe Arm Ukraine – Or Even Itself?

In an Economist article this week, ASD Secretary General, Jan Pie was quoted calling for governments to provide the certainty of multi-year contracts as a precondition for the defence industry to shift to high-tempo production.

The article discusses the possibility of Europe arming Ukraine, and the challenges that come with it. The Economist notes that the EU has a number of obstacles to overcome before it can provide Ukraine with the military aid it needs. For example, the EU has to deal with the fact that many of its member states are not willing to provide military aid. And, the EU has to contend with a likely response from Russia to any military aid provided to Ukraine. In other words, the EU must strike a delicate balance between supporting Ukraine and avoiding a direct conflict with Russia.