On Monday, American Greatness posted an article about the continuing war in Ukraine. Despite major diplomatic efforts, President Trump has not been able to get both sides of that war to agree on a truce. So who is benefitting from this extended war?
The article reports:
The beneficiaries of this conflict extend beyond the front lines—the theater of war. America’s largest defense contractors—Lockheed Martin (where my father worked as an engineer for many years), Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman—have experienced unprecedented financial gains since the war’s onset. In the fiscal year 2023 alone, Lockheed Martin secured a staggering $70.8 billion in contracts from the Pentagon², and collectively, Raytheon, General Dynamics, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman received $92 billion, bringing the total for these top five defense firms to over $162 billion in a single year².
These companies redistributed approximately $57 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks since 2022³.
The surge in defense spending has not only bolstered these firms’ financial fortunes but also driven up the costs of weaponry under the pretext of wartime urgency. For instance, the price of a Stinger missile has skyrocketed from $25,000 to $400,000 each⁴. Similarly, the cost of a Javelin missile, jointly produced by Lockheed and Raytheon, surged by nearly 33% between 2021 and 2024⁴.
Beyond arms sales, political influence and lobbying have surged. Since 2022, the top five defense contractors have collectively spent $251 million on lobbying efforts⁵, with over $37 million directed towards federal campaigns, particularly those of defense committee members⁵.
The article notes:
The military-industrial complex that President Eisenhower warned about in 1961 has since evolved into a transnational network of private contractors, arms dealers, and lobbyists who thrive in times of conflict.
Even some of the humanitarian aid is not closely watched:
And while humanitarian aid remains crucial, reports from the European Court of Auditors in 2024 highlighted concerns regarding the allocation of over €1.2 billion in aid without competitive bidding¹¹. Similarly, USAID awarded contracts totaling over $300 million to firms such as Chemonics, DAI Global, and AECOM under opaque circumstances that ranged from civil society enhancement to logistical support¹². These projects faced allegations of cost inflation, nepotism, and non-competitive extensions.
It is long past time to end this war. It is unfortunate that so many dishonest people seem to be profiting from continuing it. Please follow the link above to the article for further details.