Gyorgy Nogradi: From Now On, Weapons Sent to Ukraine No Longer Mean Peace, but a Prolonged War

Weapons supplied to Ukraine by the West are already making their way into the hands of local mafias and the international black market—even during the war, and certainly after it. According to security policy expert Gyorgy Nogradi, arms trading is the most lucrative business in the world, but after the war, these weapons could become the source of serious problems.

Reservists of the Ukrainian Armed Forces during a Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces military exercise (Photo: AFP/Sergei Supinsky)

In an interview following the Brussels summit, Viktor Orban voiced his concerns about Ukraine’s potential EU membership. Hungary's prime minister stated that accession would pose significant economic and security risks for Hungary. He stressed the importance of consulting the Hungarian people through a consultative vote before any decision is made on the matter.

And then there’s the issue of security. We are, after all, talking about a country armed to the teeth. Ukraine is not known for its public safety. People could easily cross the border. I believe we would be taking on a risk that, under the current circumstances, we simply cannot responsibly accept,

– Mr. Orban emphasized.

Our newspaper previously reported that weapons exported to Ukraine have ended up on the black market. This claim was made by Pulitzer Prize-winning American investigative journalist Seymour Hersh in an interview with the Russian RT news channel.

Even in the early stages of the conflict, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine’s other neighbors were flooded with weapons supplied by the United States to Kyiv for the war effort.

Wesley Satterwhite, a former advisor to the U.S. State Department, had previously called on the United States to implement strict monitoring of weapons sent to Ukraine to prevent them from ending up on the black market.

Gyorgy Nogradi (Source: Facebook/Gyorgy Nogradi)

In recent years, an astonishing quantity of weapons has poured into Ukraine,

–  security policy expert Gyorgy Nogradi told our newspaper.

Everyone expects that after the war, a portion of these weapons will be sold off to conflict zones around the world. The U.S. government has already announced that some of the arms sent to Ukraine have been passed on to Mexican drug cartels and will eventually make their way to the Middle East, North Africa, and other similar regions,

– he added.

Ukrainian weapons flooding the European underworld

The international V4NA news agency also highlighted that, despite attempts to deny or downplay it, more and more state and international authorities confirm the serious and real risk of weapons sent to Ukraine leaking onto the black market, falling into dangerous hands.

Illustration (Photo: dpa Picture-Alliance/AFP/Karl-Josef Hildenbrand)

A significant danger is that a large number of Ukrainians will keep their weapons after the war, leaving them with few options other than forming various mafia groups within the country,”

– Mr. Nogradi stated.

There are numerous international precedents for this. In the 1990s, organized crime was dominated by the Swedish “Juggemafia”. Many of the illegal weapons and narcotics circulating in Sweden at the time originated from the Western Balkans, V4NA reported. Experts warn that as long as there is high demand, the illegal arms trade will continue to thrive in Europe.

Arms dealing is the most profitable business in the world,” Mr. Nogradi stated. 

Ammunition on a production line at the German Rheinmetall plant (Photo: AFP/Fabian Bimmer)

When a peace settlement is finally within reach, the European stance of sending even more weapons to Ukraine only serves to prolong the war. Ukraine’s plans for victory—or even turning the tide of the war—are physically impossible,

–  the expert emphasized.

In just one year, the price of 155-millimeter artillery shells has increased sevenfold. Defense contractors are reporting profits on an unprecedented scale in history. Meanwhile, Germany’s Rheinmetall has agreed to establish another repair facility on Ukrainian territory.

So it is now safe to say that, from this point on, the weapons being sent do not signify peace, but rather the prolongation of the war—without any realistic chance of victory,” Mr. Nogradi concluded.

Cover Photo: Reservists of the Ukrainian Armed Forces during a Ukrainian Territorial Defense Forces military exercise (Photo: AFP/Sergei Supinsky)