“Without U.S. help, our ability to deliver long-range strikes on Russia will be critically reduced. It will be very hard for us. But I can proudly say that we have all come a long way, and we will not lose this ability,” a Ukrainian soldier with the country’s Unmanned Systems Forces, identified only by his callsign Linch, said at a conference in Kyiv on Friday.
If the U.S. stopped sharing intelligence, that “would actually lead to more deaths of Ukrainians,” said Maksym Skrypchenko, president of the Kyiv-based Transatlantic Dialogue Center.
Europe could, over time, build more satellites and reconnaissance aircraft. But it would take years just to fulfill the capability targets of European nations let alone help Ukraine.
3. Isn’t Europe already outspending the U.S.?
Europe is now clearly outspending the United States on Ukraine, but that doesn’t mean it’s in the driver’s seat.
Kiel Institute data shows that from 2022 to 2024, Washington and Europe each averaged roughly the same level of monthly military commitments to Kyiv. When Trump took office, that changed dramatically: U.S. monthly military aid dropped close to zero, while European governments ramped up to nearly €4 billion per month in the first half of the year and, even after a dip, were still providing several times more than the U.S. through the summer.
Rather than give weapons, the U.S. instead is selling them — and getting allies to foot the bill under the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List.