U.S. arms pivotal to Ukraine as Europe struggles to keep up
Oleg Katkov, a military expert and editor-in-chief of the Defence Express portal, mentioned on NV radio that about 30% of the weapons used by the Ukrainian army are from the United States. Europe, even if it wished to, would not be able to fill the gaps that would arise if the conflict continued, and aid from across the ocean was halted.
Donald Trump's campaign promises about a quick end to the war in Ukraine have not been realized. However, the President of the United States has initiated negotiations with Putin and consistently claims that Europe should contribute significantly more to addressing its shortcomings in terms of supporting Ukraine and strengthening NATO.
American weapons crucial for Ukraine
Oleg Katkov referred to recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who noted that about 30% of the weapons in the Ukrainian army are American. For Europe to entirely replace the aid flowing to Ukraine from the United States, it would have to increase spending by about two to three times.
"As President Zelenskyy pointed out, over 30% of the weaponry used by Ukraine’s Defence Forces is American. We need Patriot missiles, F-16 munitions, NASAMS interceptors, HIMARS precision rockets, and 155mm artillery shells—all of which come from the US," explained the Ukrainian expert.
Europe will not want to substitute the USA
It's hard to imagine such a scenario (Europe replacing the USA in aiding Ukraine) given the current challenges many European countries face in financing defense spending and aiding Ukraine. And even if funds were found to cover Ukrainian needs without the United States, another issue emerges.
"One scenario assumes that European countries will purchase weapons from the United States and pass them on to Ukraine. At least, such ideas are discussed in the White House. However, it's worth understanding whether Europeans will agree to that. After all, they would then be investing in the American defense industry instead of developing their own," stated Oleg Katkov.
In terms of GDP, the Baltic states contribute the most to Ukraine, but the USA clearly leads regarding the total amount of equipment provided.
As for equipment produced in the USA, the front lines received, among other things, 31 M1A1 Abrams tanks, over 300 M2A2 Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, several hundred M113 armoured personnel carriers and MRAP vehicles, as well as large quantities of M777 howitzers, Stinger anti-aircraft systems, Javelin anti-tank systems, and Switchblade 300 kamikaze drones. The USA is also one of the largest donors of vehicles, soldier equipment, and various types of ammunition, including 155 mm artillery shells.
The Patriot systems mentioned by the Ukrainian expert are reaching Ukraine thanks to the efforts of not only the USA but also several European countries. American F-16 fighters provided to Ukraine also come from the resources of several European armies.
