Europe | Shell-shocked

Can Europe arm Ukraine—or even itself?

More weapons production is a hedge against a Trump presidency

155mm shells at the artillery workshop in Tarbes, a town in France.
Image: AFP

WARS OF ATTRITION, which is what large-scale conflicts between militarily sophisticated adversaries such as Russia and Ukraine tend to become, are usually decided by which side has the better arms industry. Russia’s economy is nearly 14 times the size of Ukraine’s, but the combined resources of Ukraine’s allies are so much greater that it should be able to win. Yet as the conflict enters its third year, it is Russia’s defence industry that is slowly turning the war in its favour.

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This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Shell-shocked”

From the January 20th 2024 edition

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