Zelenskyy and the U.S. military-industrial complex

This article originally appeared in The Washington Times on December 20, 2023. 

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Washington to secure further financial aid from Congress garnered notable criticism from the American public. The justifiable criticism was twofold. First, the plea for more taxpayer dollars magnified the growing unease among many Americans over how much the U.S. has spent on this war without a clear plan for ending it.

Mr. Zelenskyy compounded the criticism by also meeting with leaders of top U.S. defense contractors, which exposed an emerging issue for the United States: Our national security policy is being unduly influenced by the interests of the military-industrial complex.

The U.S. needs a strong defense industrial base to deter our nation’s adversaries and when necessary provide the resources to fight and win our nation’s wars. The U.S. defense industrial base is also vital to preserving national security as it ensures that our country has the innovation and resources necessary to maintain the most powerful and advanced military force in the world.

Read full op-ed in The Washington Times.