Weapon deliveries to Ukraine are often driven by what European companies want to supply, not by what is truly needed on the front line. This is a critical flaw in Europe's support model, costing lives and playing into the aggressor's hands. Oleksandra Azarkhina, Head of the Defence Industries Initiatives at the ESCU, explained this in an interview with the Danish publication Børsen.
"It affects the Ukrainian soldiers at the front when they in the war against Russia receive weapons that are not determined by their needs. But on the contrary, it is determined by what defence companies in Europe have told their governments that they want to get rid of,” said Oleksandra.
As the solution, Oleksandra proposed the International Defence Procurement Agency (IDPA), where Ukraine will have ownership and a formal seat at the table. The new institution will enable transparent procurement of the most necessary weaponry from the companies that can provide it best, fastest, and cheapest. The agency will also insulate vital procurement from political upheaval in partner governments.