However, there are certain types of equipment only US can offer, being so technologically ahead of EU. StarLink (with all its controversies) comes to mind.
Also, the helmet-bullshit is driven by polish anti-german pis-bullshit. Germany delivered PZH2000 and Gepard, as well as being the first with modern Air Defence. France and Britain were the first with Cruise Missiles. Scandinavia was the first with Tanks. Netherlands the first with modern planes. The Blinken-Deescalatin-Crowd in the US which seems to still believe in escalation management and mutual co-operation with Russia.
Where are ATACMS, more Patriot, more Bradley, more Abrams, more cluster munitions? The material is there, it's high time!
They can send more material to Ukraine, but they want to have enough to also sustain a war in Taiwan. And it's unclear (at least to me) what the Chinese military doctrine would entail, since China has been mostly at peace since the truce with India. If a war for/around Taiwan ends up being the same kind of high-intensity conflict as the war in Ukraine, it has the potential to engulf the yearly US production of ammo in a few weeks.
Except for drones and phones, war has definitely changed, the fog is dissipating.
India and China have been waiting ~60 years for a rematch, so there is the distinct possibility of a second front on land. North Korea could also try and attack South Korea for a variety of reasons (either as a distraction for China or taking advantage of the distraction), which could open yet another front. And these are the easy ones – if there is a big showdown, it could domino in a number of directions, each of which would justify the US maintaining a stockpile of ammo.
And of course, land and sea warfare share some of the same missiles.
Xi's career goal is the complete re-unification of China and he's getting quite old now, likely his last term (ends in 2027/8 iirc). He'll be making important decisions in the next few years.
- Despite Russian propaganda to the contrary, the Russian army is still going to pieces. Yes, there is a stronger professional core now than there used to be during the 90s, but that core is shrinking because the military has difficulties both funding itself, attracting new recruits, and with endemic corruption. Some of the reasons for which it has difficulties attracting new recruits are that the Russian population is growing old very quickly and emigration is attractive to whoever can afford to leave.
- Historically, Russian doctrine is to assume that an invasion is coming from the West. Always. History shows of a few places where such an invasion can be stopped fairly easily, if Russia controls them. As it turns out, two of the lynchpins are respsectively in Ukraine in Poland. Since the army is getting weaker and there is a chance that Ukraine could join NATO, if Russia wants to grab control of the lynchpins, it has to attack as early as possible, before the imbalance grows worse.
- The fact that PRC is eyeing towards Taiwan means that the US cannot commit too many forces in Ukraine. There is a risk that PRC might end up subjugating Taiwan either semi-peacefully or at least so fast that the US doesn't get a chance to react, in which case the window of opportunity would close.
I think this particular ship has sailed a long time ago. Taiwan is armed to the teeth right know. Everybody knows that if a major war is going to break out, it will be in Taiwan. It's been common knowledge for years. Taiwan didn't lose time and they did their best to prepare.
So if China decides to attack, they will win eventually, but will gain only scorched earth and enormous casualties. But, more importantly, they will lose access to Western markets. The EU and USA are already preparing for this - everybody knows it won't be easy, it will be much more difficult than getting rid of Russian gas, but it will be done.
Eastern Europe and ex-USSR republics have been trying to warn the world for quite a while, it's the West who refused to listen.
Read Kasparov's "Winter is Coming" book to understand more.
i'll check the book out, but if there's less speculative stuff like leaked cables, war plans, fact based reporting etc out there i'd be more receptive to the idea that the Russians were genuinely about to blitzkrieg Europe if all went well in Ukraine
it just sounds too ridiculous and farfetched