Profiting from war. Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

In 2023, the world was in turmoil, with the Russia-Ukraine war dragging on and the conflict in the Gaza Strip reoccurring. As the demand for weapons rose dramatically in many parts of the world, the US, known as a non-stop war machine, delivered yet another "outstanding" year-end performance review of foreign military sales: a record $238 billion. 

This figure was released by the US State Department on Monday. With a 16 percent increase from 2022, the growth in US military equipment sales to foreign governments last year was primarily driven by significant deals prompted by the Russia-Ukraine war. The biggest deals were a trio of sales worth about $30 billion for attack and transport helicopters, and long-range missile launchers to Poland and Germany, according to a report from Politico.

Since the outbreak of the current war in Ukraine, the US government has continued to fuel the conflict by supplying weapons to Kiev. Consequently, US arms dealers have experienced a surge in orders. Additionally, European countries, due to ammunition production issues and the growing "fear of Russia," have thrown themselves into the embrace of US arms dealers. As a result, the US military-industrial complex has profited greatly from the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

As the conflict is about to enter its third year, more evidence is emerging that the US is the manipulator behind the scenes and the primary beneficiary. Washington aims to amplify the "Russia threat" theory to intimidate European countries into an arms race, ultimately advancing US interests at the expense of Europe, Russia and Ukraine.

From Ukraine to the Middle East, the escalation of war is undoubtedly good news for US arms dealers who always seek to reap huge profits from turmoil. There is an evident close connection between the US arms industry and politics, and the new record of US foreign military sales proves only one thing: The US is, indeed, a great source of unrest in the world.

The US government has, in fact, fed a voracious monster within the country - the military-industrial complex. In the face of this colossal military-industrial complex, Washington proudly showcases its new record, akin to a salesman impressing his boss with his accomplishments in 2023.

Lü Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times that as a series of elections approach, the State Department released the number of US foreign military sales in 2023 to impress arms dealers in the country. It's very likely Washington intends to showcase the Joe Biden administration's achievement as an "arms salesman" in order to gain support from the arms industry for the Democratic Party in the upcoming Congress and presidential election, the Chinese scholar said.

The influence of the military-industrial complex on US politics is pervasive. For many US politicians, whether they are Republican or Democrat, it is natural to advocate for the arms dealers who fund their campaigns. On a larger scale, neither of the two parties nor the US government dare to offend the US military-industrial complex.

The US military-industrial complex now wields significant influence over US national policy and, to some extent, has hijacked the government. The US State Department said in a statement on Monday that arms transfers and defense trade are "important US foreign policy tools with potential long-term implications for regional and global security," demonstrating the close relationship between US arms sales and foreign policy.

In many cases, Washington uses its foreign policy to provoke chaos and confrontation, artificially creating a demand for more arms in many countries. By constantly promoting narratives, such as the "Russia threat" and "China threat," the US government has helped US arms dealers boost the sale of military equipment, making it the biggest broker for the US arms industry. 

As long as there are military sales, the US will never tire of war. It is expected that the growth of US foreign military sales will continue unabated in 2024, while the US will continue to allow conflicts to victimize innocent people in hotspot areas and fill the pockets of US arms dealers.