This new €21 billion European military support package marks a major strategic pivot, especially as the U.S. shifts under Trump’s leadership. With the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting in Brussels, it’s clear that Europe is stepping into a leadership role in backing Kyiv—at a time when Ukraine faces both intensified Russian attacks and growing uncertainty about future American support.
Key takeaways:
- Germany’s €11 billion pledge—the largest slice—underscores Berlin’s deepening commitment. Its focus on artillery, air defence, and heavy equipment (like IRIS-T systems and Leopard tanks) suggests a long-haul military partnership rather than just stopgap aid.
- The UK and Norway’s joint £450 million package, part of a broader £4.5 billion commitment, highlights the increasing role of drones and radar tech in modern warfare, particularly in countering Russia’s heavy use of glide bombs and attack drones.
- John Healey’s note that 70-80% of battlefield casualties now come from drones is stark—it shows how much the battlefield has evolved and why aerial superiority and tech will define this war’s next phase.
- Ukraine’s Defence Minister Rustem Umerov publicly thanked Europe for “taking the lead,” which is pretty telling—it’s not just symbolic, it’s a practical shift in who’s driving Ukraine’s defence capacity.
The political dimension is just as striking. Zelensky and European leaders are clearly not buying into Russia’s signals of ceasefire readiness, especially with 67,000 Russian troops near Sumy and new territorial claims in places like Zhuravka. Despite the U.S. still being in the mix, the fact that Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth only joined remotely, and that Steve Witkoff is in Russia for talks that are expected to go nowhere, hints at a deepening diplomatic divide between European and American strategies.
What do you think—will this kind of European-led support be enough to keep Ukraine’s defence strong if U.S. commitment wanes further? Or does Ukraine need a lot more to hold the line against what looks like a renewed Russian push in the north?