Thread by @AVindman

Ukraine is holding the frontline of democracy against authoritarianism. The heroic Ukrainian defenders should not stand alone. The US must do more to offer support. "Lend-Lease" is the best way forward. My latest with @DomCruzBus in @ForeignAffairs. Thread...

https://twitter.com/AVindman/status/1500438360426491904

Lend-Lease would allow the Ukrainians to acquire important military aid at little or no cost through loans & aid packages or leases on equipment (w/o expectation this equipment would be returned after the war). Long-term goal would be to create stockpiles along Ukraine’s borders.

Ukraine’s military will run low on critical materiel long before it runs out of manpower or morale. A new age Lend Lease Act could replenish Ukrainian supplies of existing and new advanced weapons (AT, AD, UCAVs...) on a continuous basis rather than via incremental aid packages.

Moreover, the U.S. and its allies could provide advanced capabilities such as UCAVs, Russian/Soviet-made aircraft (e.g. transfers from Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria), medium- & long-range air defense systems, coastal defense systems, and high mobility artillery, among other things.

Yes, there are risks with expanded assistance and arms transfers, but these pale in comparison to the long-term risks of doing nothing or continuing with the status quo. US foreign policy has favored buying down short-term risks at the expense of long-term stability for too long.

Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling shouldn’t compel US officials to self-deter. The longer we wait, the worse our options will become. Accepting risks now will prevent the need to confront greater risks in the future. We must help Ukraine end this war as quickly as possible.

War is unpredictable. If this drags out longer, the likelihood of inadvertent escalation will increase. An NFZ may be thought of as too provocative today, but we may very well end up there. As such, helping Ukrainians clear their own skies is both a moral & strategic imperative.

Existing aid has been necessary but insufficient to meet the needs of Ukraine’s defense. We cannot continue to apply Band-Aids. Just in time may already be too late. Biden must rally bipartisan support for Lend Lease immediately to avoid further bureaucratic delays.