"It’s not sustainable for Europe [to support Ukraine]," he replied when asked whether Europe’s assistance to Kiev is viable in the future. "Unfortunately, what we’re seeing in the UK in particular, but also in Germany, is a massive economic distortion to prioritize defense spending."
According to the former diplomat, it is common for politicians to prioritize defense spending because it is "the most corrupt industry."
The main issue, however, is that "Europe doesn’t have the ability to supply Ukraine with munitions on the scale needed to attempt to defeat Russia militarily."
In June, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said that Moscow produces as much ammunition in three months as NATO does in a year.
Russia has repeatedly stated that Western arms supplies to Ukraine hinder the resolution of the military conflict and make NATO countries a party to the crisis. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine will be a legitimate target for the Russian military.