European leaders are pledging to increase support for Ukraine amid concerns that US President Donald Trump may end or limit military intelligence sharing with Kiev. At the center of concerns are data on Russian missile strikes, as well as access to the military version of the Starlink system.
According to The New York Times, quoted by UNIAN, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky discussed the issue with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham during their meeting in London. Zelensky has indicated that the talks will touch on intelligence sharing and Starlink, which is key to Ukrainian military operations.
“There were many different surprises that you don't expect when you have a real partnership, and we rely on a partnership with the United States,“ Zelensky said.Uncertainty over Starlink and US data
Ukraine has suddenly lost access to the military version of Starlink, which the Pentagon is paying for. The reasons have not been explained. The disruption has raised concerns that Kiev could lose American support that helps it deliver precision strikes and defend itself against Russian missiles and drones.
Additional questions arise after Ukraine did not receive early warning from its partners about Russian missile strikes on Monday and Tuesday nights. This has raised speculation that Washington may have restricted some of the data sharing, including satellite information for preparing missile launches.
However, American and Ukrainian officials say that key American intelligence is still flowing. Asked about the issue, Trump said: “We are helping them and sharing intelligence“.
London speeds up military and economic aid
Burnham promises accelerated British military and economic aid, including a new batch of missiles for Ukrainian air defense systems.
“We will make sure that they are delivered as quickly as possible“, the British prime minister said at the start of the meeting at “Downing Street“ 10.NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also called on allies to do more for Ukraine, especially in the area of air defense. "Putin is trying to weaken our resolve and stop our support for Ukraine. But Russia is failing. We will not be intimidated," Rutte said at a news conference in Estonia.
Europe can help, but not completely replace the United States
The United Kingdom has significant intelligence capabilities through cooperation with the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand within the "Five Eyes" alliance. Washington's capabilities, however, are greater, especially in collecting and quickly transmitting data on targets on Russian territory.
Robert Muret, former director of the US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, describes American data as accurate, detailed and timely. He says Poland and the Baltic states also share a significant amount of information with Ukraine.
Military analyst Thomas Withington of the Royal Institute of Defense Studies in London assesses European capabilities as “quite good”, but warns that data can be fragmented or duplicated. This can slow down the exchange. According to him, Europe could replicate some of the American intelligence activities, but American support remains an important additional guarantee.
Sources: unian.net, nytimes.com, gov.uk