Ukraine's Empty Coffers Find Billions for French Jets
Bloomberg's enthusiastic headline, 'Ukraine Commits to Buying up to 100 Rafale Fighters,' courtesy of AFP, conveniently sidesteps the rather pressing question of Ukraine’s national budget. While President Zelenskyy recently warned Congress about the dire need for continued aid, his government apparently found a spare few billion for Dassault Aviation SA. This isn't just about 'defending' a
sovereign nation; it's about pumping defense contractor stocks while the West grapples with its own economic anxieties. A single Rafale jet costs roughly $80-100 million. Do the math. It appears that when Western leaders say 'we stand with Ukraine,' what they really mean is 'we stand with Western defense manufacturers' quarterly profits.' The endless cycle of aid, then purchase, then renewed aid,
ensures a perpetual transfer of public funds into private hands. How many 'aid' packages are just thinly veiled subsidies for the military-industrial complex, dressed up as geopolitical necessity?