Without the United States, Ukraine will have a shortage of the most deadly weapons – retired US colonel
The US provided Ukraine with over 20% of its weapons and equipment worth over $66.5 billion, so it will be difficult for Europe and Ukraine to fill this gap when America soon withdraws from military assistance to Kyiv. About this in the commentary to the article Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Layton told LIGA.net .
He emphasized that some of the most deadly weapons in Ukraine's arsenal come from the United States.
"The Europeans will not be able to provide weapons that are as lethal or accurate as American ones," he is convinced.
Europeans may buy weapons from the United States for Ukraine, but the rules of purchase require America to approve resale or donation to another country. So it would be easier if Europeans sold or donated their weapons, Leighton believes.
Given the amount of money, Europe could go a long way to replacing the aid that has so far come from the U.S. There will be some shortages of many models, predicts a retired American colonel.
"The impact will be felt with Patriot air defense missiles and HIMARS systems. In addition, there may be a shortage of spare parts for many weapons systems, including the F-16," Leighton noted.
Also, in his opinion, there may be problems with intelligence and communications, which were largely provided by the US and which were a key factor in Ukrainian military operations.
Ukraine's ability to innovate will be one way to overcome this poor strategic decision by US President Donald Trump , Leighton concluded.
In May, the State Department approved the sale of F-16 training and maintenance services and related equipment to Ukraine for a total of approximately $310.5 million .
In June, President Zelensky reported that at the G7 summit, the Ukrainian delegation had handed over to the administration of US President Trump a list of weapons worth a "very large sum" that Kyiv wanted to purchase from Washington as part of the next package .
