After adding Finland to NATO, the U.S. further erodes Russia’s buffer with a big arms buildup in E. Europe

The U.S. is beefing up Poland’s ability to defend Europe’s eastern front against Russia, selling it 250 Abrams battle tanks, 32 F-35 fighter jets, 500 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (Himars) and several more Patriot missile batteries. Arming Poland may be just the kind of thing that provokes Russian President Vladimir Putin into stepping his war in Ukraine and against the West up a notch.

It was the establishment of a U.S. missile defense battery in Poland that may have helped convince Putin he needed to halt the eastward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization by invading Ukraine. And ahead of the invasion, Putin had demanded a reduction in NATO forces in Eastern Europe. Instead, his invasion has accelerated NATO’s march towards Moscow, having added neighboring Finland to its membership and added American and NATO troops to Eastern Europe.

The details of new weapons for Poland came as the U.S. Secretaries of State and Defense crisscrossed Europe with new promises of more American support for Europe against Russia. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, in Kyiv on a surprise visit from eastern Poland, pledged $2.8 billion more for Ukraine and 18 other countries Washington believes are at risk of Russian invasion. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced from a U.S. base in Germany Thursday an additional $675 million in new materiel for Ukraine from the Pentagon’s own stockpiles, which includes more ammunition for Kyiv’s 16 Himars launchers. With U.S. supplies running low, last month U.S. President Joe Biden approved $3 billion in funding that Ukraine can use to buy directly from defense contractors. He has already asked Congress to approve another $7.2 billion in arms for Ukraine. Austin is now in Prague, so expect an announcement of additional weapons shipments today to the Czech Republic.

As the shopping list grows, the U.S. Dept. of Defense published a handy inventory of what Washington has provided Ukraine so far:

• Over 1,400 Stinger anti-aircraft systems (RTN 0.00);
• Over 8,500 Javelin anti-armor systems (LMT -1.29%↓);
• Over 32,000 other anti-armor systems (Saab Bofors Dynamics-SAABY);
• Over 700 Switchblade Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems (AVAV 1.53%↑ );
• 126 155mm Howitzers and up to 807,000 155mm artillery rounds (GD 0.36%↑);
• 20 105mm Howitzers and 144,000 105mm artillery rounds (Hyundai Motor);
• 126 Tactical Vehicles to tow 155mm Howitzers (BAE Systems-BAESY);
• 22 Tactical Vehicles to recover equipment (BAE Systems-BAESY);
• 16 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems and ammunition (LMT -1.29%↓);
• 20 120mm mortar systems and 85,000 rounds of 120mm mortar rounds (GD 0.36%↑);
• 1,500 Tube-Launched, Optically-Tracked, Wire-Guided (TOW) missiles (RTN 0.00);
• Four Command Post vehicles (OSK 1.80%↑);
• Eight National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile Systems (NASAMS) and munitions (Kongsberg Gruppen-NKSFF);
• High-speed Anti-radiation missiles (HARMs) (RTN 0.00);
• 20 Mi-17 helicopters;
• Hundreds of Armored High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicles;
• 200 M113 Armored Personnel Carriers;
• 40 MaxxPro Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles with mine rollers (Traton-TRATF);
• Mine clearing equipment and systems;
• Over 10,000 grenade launchers and small arms;
• Over 60,000,000 rounds of small arms ammunition;
• Over 75,000 sets of body armor and helmets (BAE Systems-BAESY);
• Approximately 700 Phoenix Ghost Tactical Unmanned Aerial Systems;
• Laser-guided rocket systems (BAE Systems-BAESY);
• Puma Unmanned Aerial Systems (AVAV 1.53%↑ );
• 15 Scan Eagle Unmanned Aerial Systems (BA 3.78%↑);
• Unmanned Coastal Defense Vessels (TXT 1.70%↑);
• Up to 50 counter-artillery radars (NOC -1.58%↓);
• Four counter-mortar radars;
• Counter-Unmanned Aerial Systems (NOC -1.58%↓);
• Four air surveillance radars (NOC -1.58%↓);
• Two harpoon coastal defense systems (BA 3.78%↑);
• 18 coastal and riverine patrol boats;
• M18A1 Claymore anti-personnel munitions;
• C-4 explosives, demolition munitions, and demolition equipment for obstacle clearing;
• Tactical secure communications systems;

• Thousands of night vision devices, thermal imagery systems, optics, and laser
rangefinders (Safran-SAFRY);
• Commercial satellite imagery services (MAXR -0.14%↓);
• Explosive ordnance disposal protective gear;
• Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear protective equipment;
• 100 armored medical treatment vehicles (GD 0.36%↑);
• Medical supplies to include first aid kits, bandages, monitors, and other equipment;
• Electronic jamming equipment;
• Field equipment and spare parts;
• Funding for training, maintenance, and sustainment.