The Pentagon, US allies and perhaps even Ukraine are solidifying preparations for what may evolve into a long-term war against Russia’s invasion, as Russian gains have been minimal and challenged, while Ukrainians continue to defend key areas and gain ground.
Given the prospect of a protracted engagement, the Pentagon and NATO allies are assessing industrial base capacity to ensure sufficient quantities of arms and equipment can flow into support Ukraine, while making sure not to diminish US or allied readiness in any way. President Biden will be visiting a Javelin production plant to assess production capacity and future plans, yet overall the Pentagon leadership has been clear that US readiness has in no way been impacted by ongoing support to Ukraine.
Javelin Missile
“The US will continue to be the best armed, most capable fighting force in the world. This fight is not going to be cheap, but caving to aggression is even more costly,” President Bided said on CNN while visiting a Javelin anti-tank missile factory in Alabama.
The question of when, or how, the conflict might end continues to take on more significance as the West pivots toward a longer-term posture.
“Nobody knows how long this is going to go. And again, I’ll say it again; I’ll keep saying it every day; it could end today. It could end right now. This is a war of choice that Mr. Putin decided to wage on his own while he still had diplomatic options on the table. So it could end now. There’s no reason for it to go a single other day,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told reporters, according to a Pentagon transcript.