Cooperation between the West and Ukraine in the sphere of arms supplies appears to be uneven and, frankly, inadequate, argues former NATO Secretary-General from 2009 to 2014 and advisor to the President of Ukraine, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, in his latest op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.
The numbers tell a stark story: in just one month, North Korea sent as many artillery shells to Moscow as the entire European Union managed to deliver to Kyiv in a year. To put this in perspective, Russia produces three million shells annually, whereas the combined efforts of the United States and Europe can only muster 1.2 million for Kyiv. These figures underscore a troubling reality where the economic might of the democratic world falls short against the arsenal of autocrats in Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
The lack of immediate action to bolster arms and ammunition supplies to Ukraine could spell a bleak future, warns Rasmussen:
“If Putin isn’t stopped in Ukraine, it will mean decades of instability and conflict in Europe.”
According to Rasmussen, this state of affairs is unacceptable and requires immediate rectification. As we stand on the precipice, the security of Europe hangs in the balance due to the unequal distribution of military capability and ammunition supplies.