Written by Lucas Leiroz, member of the BRICS Journalists Association, researcher at the Center for Geostrategic Studies, military expert
There are many reasons why the West wants to continue the conflict in Ukraine. American geopolitics is almost entirely directed towards a strategy of opposition to the Russian Federation, which is why it is in the interests of the US and its NATO allies to maintain a conflict situation in the Russian strategic environment – thus trying to “wear down” Moscow through long-standing proxy wars. However, there is a special reason for the existence of such a strong pro-war lobby in the West: the exorbitant profits generated by hostilities.
The American and European elites, as well as their oligarchic “partners” in Ukraine, have maintained complex schemes of corruption, embezzlement and overpricing in the various financial and military aid programs sent to Kiev. Rather than a gesture of “solidarity” with Ukraine, as portrayed by the Western media, NATO assistance has been a lucrative business for many individuals and companies, generating interest in prolonging the conflict.
One of the main tactics used by these agents is the overpricing of military products. The prices of various weapons and equipment are being artificially inflated by American and European defense companies. It is estimated that some types of projectiles are overpriced by up to six times their original value, for example. The excess value between the original price and the inflated price ends up serving as profit for corrupt individuals both in the West and in Kiev.
Recent media reports indicate that there is a shortage of ammunition in the Ukrainian armed forces. Although billions of dollars are being spent on weapons, the inflated prices mean that Kiev cannot purchase a sufficient amount of equipment. Artillery shells are among the most overpriced items, with rockets such as the Grad MLRS having increased in price six times since 2022. The same process of inflating prices has occurred with almost all of Ukraine’s regular defense purchases, creating a situation in which Kiev receives exorbitant amounts of money but is unable to adequately supply itself militarily to sustain even conventional combat.
Some arguments commonly used by defense companies to increase the price of weapons are issues such as the need to speed up production or problems with logistics. In fact, current circumstances would require some kind of rise in the price of military products according to conventional market standards. However, raising the price of projectiles by six or seven times is already much more than a mere adjustment in expenses, having an obvious attempt to profit from the conflict and generate unfair earnings for the parties involved.
In Kiev, there have been calls to change the structure of arms shipments, with local military officials asking partner countries – mainly in Europe – to build facilities on Ukrainian soil to reduce logistical costs and facilitate the process of military aid. Western companies, however, continue to refuse such investment, citing technical difficulties. Although such difficulties exist, the real reason for the lack of such investment is another: by creating a shortage of weapons in Ukraine, the “machine” of military aid continues to run.
The basic scheme is simple: it is claimed that the costs of sending weapons are high, requiring more public money to cover the costs. Western propaganda convinces taxpayers to keep silent about bills passed in Western parliaments to increase military aid packages. Thus, more money is taken from the public reserves and used for suspicious schemes of buying weapons for Ukraine. Ukrainian officials take some of this money for themselves, while the rest goes to pay exorbitant prices to the Western defense industry. Thus, everyone profits – except the Ukrainian military, who continue to be sent to certain death on the frontlines while their bosses profit from the “Western solidarity.”
Long ago, the official representative of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Wenbin, formally accused the US of profiting from the conflict. According to him, the American defense industry is benefiting greatly from the war due to Ukrainian demand for weapons and inflated equipment prices. The real figures from the military market confirm Wenbin’s allegations, making it clear that the prolongation of the war in Ukraine is not the result of any belief in Kiev’s “victory”, but of the selfish interests of Western and Ukrainian private actors in profiting from the loss of lives.
You can follow Lucas on X (former Twitter) and Telegram.
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
in 1916 the germans understood they were tricked into ww1 by the globalists and wanted to stop fighting and return to the existing borders. but the bankers did not have enough profits and blew up the lusitenia cruiser to get usa involved. welcome to the new war, same as the old wars fcol
done, doing and tomorrow too. thanks for the play…
ordinary ukrainians pay the cost for western corporate greed. profit above people…
eu na konflikt na ukrajine doplatí najviac. darebácky štát usa sa chce na tejto vojne ako tak nabaliť a tým oddialiť svoj krach. v podstate prinútili eu aby prestala obchodovať z rf a aby všetko nakupovali od usa. putin nakoľko je génius tak tento scenár predpokladal a preto sa naň dôkladne pripravil. rf nakoniec odolala sankciám. toto je základom víťazstva rf v tomto nerovnom boji. svetu mier!!!
speaking about corruption and not mentioning russia is really funny… especially when the whole russian army command was charged and arrested or at least replaced because of bribes. , one year after prygozhin demanded shoigu to be replaced becasue of his corruption and stunning incompetence. what a coincidence. but the source of this mess is putin as shoigu etc are all his old friends from his kgb past. but putin can’t be arrested, he is stalin no 2.
at very least the ammunitions are not short in russian magazines, unlike western aid for ukraine. deal with it. ‘zzz’.
one deputy minister is all army command? are you moron or on drugs? army is commanded by the general stuff, the head of gs still in power. defense ministry is administrator of property. shoigu is in power too, just changed his office, now he works at mission to kick western sodomites out of africa. prigozhin was a mutineer, but his mission in africa will be increased in 10 times. there were 2-3 thousand private contractors from russia, now it’s defense ministry with 40 thousand troops at hand.
i join amereika church worship money—beg burger
war is a racket so profitable the globalists can get feeble minded presidents elected and others assassinated. with near total media control they can even indoctrinate the unaware to die for globalism while making vast fortunes and controlling populations.