From arms to industry: Europe retools its support to boost Ukraine's defense capacity - WP
Photo: Europe plans to give Ukraine defense investments instead of weapons (Getty Images)
European countries may change their approach to supporting Ukraine in the war. Instead of sending ready-to-use weapons, they are considering financing Ukraine’s defense industry, reports The Washington Post.
A European official, speaking anonymously, told the outlet that more and more countries in Europe are looking at a model of investing money into Ukraine’s defense sector rather than shipping finished arms.
European officials believe this could speed up the delivery of assistance, especially as their own stockpiles have been depleted after large-scale weapons transfers to Ukraine.
According to the official, this strategy also allows NATO countries to use Ukraine as a sort of testing ground for weapons development and experimentation. That includes drones, for instance — an area where Ukrainians have far more experience than NATO countries.
“It’s a win-win. It’s cheaper for us. They need to produce. And the Ukrainians are teaching us a lot,” the European official added.
Military aid to Ukraine
Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Europe has been trying to ramp up its defense investments and increase military aid to Ukraine.
As a reminder, Trump halted military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine after a dispute with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House. The US later resumed deliveries.
However, according to the outlet, Trump’s administration is currently not discussing any continuation of arms deliveries to Ukraine. The aid previously approved by Joe Biden is now running out.
