Delays in Key Weapon Deliveries to Ukraine
Author's Note: This article was originally published on August 29th, 2023. Ukrainian requests for key weapons systems since the beginning of Russia’s invasion in February 2022 have met with varying success. Some systems were approved for export and delivered within days of an official request, others are awaiting delivery months after approval, and still others have yet to be greenlit at all. The following analysis seeks to explain this variation. Ultimately, a combination of escalation concerns, procurement complications, logistical considerations, apprehension regarding sensitive technologies, and political dynamics—among other factors—largely explain disparities in lag time between Ukrainian requests for key weapons systems, their approval, and their ultimate delivery. Many Ukrainian weapons requests were denied or delayed due to escalation concerns vis-à-vis Russia. Generally speaking, longer-range, offens...