Senior Pentagon official Elbridge Colby, responsible for political affairs, said that Washington's support for Ukraine has largely been based on “the use of limited American stocks“, making it clear that this approach is no longer sustainable, Politico reported.
“Europe must accelerate its assumption of primary responsibility for the continent's conventional defense. "This is not a matter of choice, but a strategic imperative," he said.
The statement came after European allies meeting in Germany announced a new wave of support for Ukraine, focusing on drones, air defense and long-range strike capabilities.
Germany announced it would fund additional Patriot missiles to be produced domestically, as well as IRIS-T air defense systems and funding for long-range drones produced in Ukraine.
The United Kingdom has pledged to deliver 120,000 drones as part of its annual military support package, while the Netherlands has allocated hundreds of millions of euros to develop unmanned capabilities. Belgium and Spain have also announced new funding aimed at supporting air defense, artillery and combat aviation.
The publication writes that these statements highlight both the dynamics and the limitations of options. Although Europe's contribution is growing, Ukraine still suffers from a serious shortage of air defense systems to intercept Russian ballistic missiles, and production capacity cannot keep up with demand.
Colby stressed that filling this gap will require even greater efforts and called for strengthening the defense industrial base:
“Europe must put the continent's defense, and therefore its military support for Ukraine, on a truly sustainable basis.“
Reuters reported earlier that arms deliveries from the United States to European countries under previously signed contracts are likely to be delayed against the backdrop of the war in the Middle East. American officials have already informed the European country of this.