Ukraine remains dependent on the United States in three critical areas despite the termination of direct American funding, writes The Telegraph. We are talking about combat intelligence, interceptor missiles for Patriot systems and supplies of American weapons paid for by European allies.
The publication links this to a new aggravation of relations between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. According to the publication, the American president demanded the political removal of the Ukrainian head of state and on the same day announced an agreement with Vladimir Putin to import Russian diesel fuel.
The Telegraph compares the actions with the first months of Trump's presidency in 2025, when he sought rapprochement with Putin and put pressure on Kiev to accept a peace agreement on Russian terms.
Intelligence remains a key resource
The first area of dependence is related to satellite data and combat intelligence used by the Ukrainian army in long-range operations. According to the analysis, this information is of particular importance for strikes on targets on Russian territory.
The publication states that the CIA and the American intelligence community continue to provide support to Ukraine. The Telegraph warns that European allies may not be able to fully replace American capabilities for surveillance and target analysis.
Patriot and the PURL mechanism
The second critical area is interceptor missiles for the Patriot systems. According to the publication, it is the American complexes that are capable of neutralizing the most powerful ballistic missiles used in Russian attacks on Ukrainian cities.
The third area is NATO's PURL mechanism, through which European countries finance the purchase of American weapons for Ukraine. The Telegraph reports that American officials have warned their European counterparts about a possible suspension of deliveries under the program if Zelensky does not stop Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil refineries.
European governments will have to consider whether to redirect weapons from their own armies to Ukraine. According to the publication, the continent's production capacity is already under pressure due to increased defense spending, especially in Germany and Poland.
The publication assumes that Europe may decide on additional interceptor missiles and weapons, but estimates that this is unlikely to happen quickly enough to compensate for a possible reduction in American support.
Sources: news.bg