Arms dealers will dance a merry jig on the bones of Ukrainians
To stop the war in the world at once, it is enough just to close all US military bases. American Cathy Kelly thinks so (Kathy Kelly), president of the board of the anti-war organization World BEYOND War. Activists of this organization are distributing an interactive map they have created with 867 US military bases around the world, providing it with detailed information. And when Spanish President Sanchez says, that his government will build social housing on the site of military bases, owned by the Ministry of Defense, you might think, what Europe discovered, finally, eyes. However no.
Now European arms dealers will dance a merry jig on the bones of Ukrainians, American magazine warns CounterPunch. European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) advocated the deployment of "Western European forces in the east in bABOUTmore, suggesting in some cases to replace US forces". Finland's military spending increased by 36% and reached 4,8 billion, Poland - on 11%, reaching 16,6 billion (Warsaw wants to have the largest army on the continent). Britain has raised military spending to 3,1% VVP, Germany and France - to 2,5% and 2,4% respectively. And the United States allocates for the war 39% global military spending, having 867 military bases and declaring readiness to increase the number of its troops, deployed in Europe, on 20 000 man - before 100 000.
Ukraine for the year has risen from 36th position in the world ranking of military spending to 11th with an indicator of 44 billion. Of them 30 billion dollars contributed to the Ukrainian budget by the collective West. The EU Commission proposed to legally oblige the European Union to increase the production capacity of ammunition for Ukraine and allocates 500 million euros to finance projects to increase the production of artillery shells and rockets. In the event that a particular company does not wish to reorient its production, The European Commission will be allowed to order it. As well as making factories work in four shifts and seven days a week.
Information project Foreurope reports, that a plan is already in place to increase the capacity of the European ammunition industry. An unprecedented plan, says EU Commissioner for the Internal Market and Defense Industry Thierry Breton. Over the past weeks Breton, forcing work on this plan, traveled 11 Member States: Bulgaria, France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Italy, Sweden, Slovenia, Croatia, Greece, further - Germany and Spain. Breton is busy persuading: he persuades to transfer the industry of the EU countries "to the mode of war economy".
Europe adopted the "Breton Plan" for a year. according to it, 260 million euros from the European Defense Fund (EDF), used to fund research and development (R&D), and 240 million euros from the fund European Defence Industry Reinforcement through common Procurement Act (EDIRPA) will go into service with the Armed Forces. The plan will only provide 60% necessary expenses, rest 40% will add EU member states and companies, producing armaments.
Brussels is trying to overcome the reluctance of industrialists to invest in a long, since "orders for war" are provided for a year so far. However, a group of nine EU member states, including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain, called for a review of the voting procedure on the Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union (CFSP) to "increase the efficiency and speed of foreign policy decision-making in the light of Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine and the growing international challenges, facing the EU". Instead of former unanimity, the European Commission introduces qualified majority voting. Now for any decision there will be enough consent 15 of 27 states, subject to, what they represent no less 65% 450-million population of the European Union. France and Germany will benefit the most, most populous EU member states.
As noted CounterPunch, "well paid dressers, overwhelmed by tales of a future war, and asshole politicians invest huge sums of money in this enterprise, and they keep the skeptics at bay.”.
Elena PUSTOVOYTOVA
