Share :

Download PDF :

World Politics Review (27 June 2024)

Zachary Popovich

Two days after Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy famously responded to a U.S. offer to evacuate him from Kyiv by saying, “The fight is here; I need ammunition, not a ride.” For Ukraine, that response rings as true today as it did two years ago. Though U.S. military aid is once again flowing, earlier this year deliveries of desperately needed ammunition were delayed for months by political infighting in Washington, resulting in Ukrainian losses on the battlefield.

Given the uncertainty regarding the United States’ continued commitment to Ukraine’s defense, particularly in the context of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Ukraine must begin to reduce its dependency on foreign aid for its war effort. Instead, Kyiv should work with its international partners to create a domestic defense industrial base capable of producing the ammunition and defense equipment it needs to defend itself against Russia’s aggression.

Click for more