A Russian victory in the war would require a surge in Pentagon spending of more than $800B through 2029, the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) reported. The ultimate success of President Putin’s war in Ukraine would change the face of Europe and embolden Russia to threaten members of the NATO military alliance.
According to the report, the $808B increase would be necessary for the US to help deter and, if necessary, defeat a non-nuclear Russian attack beyond Ukraine. That amount would alter the Defense Department’s five-year plan through 2029 to $5.2T from $4.4T, or about $165B more annually than planned for those years. That plan focuses heavily on Asia.
AEI’s report focuses on an estimated Pentagon budget “required in a world where Russia defeats Ukraine and the potential cascading impacts on America’s security as other adversaries learn from Russia’s victory and the world’s pulling back support from Ukraine,” the organization said.
“We conclude here that supporting Ukraine is in America’s best interest from a financially focused perspective.”