Can Europe arm Ukraine?

2025-03-05 17:02:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

United States President Donald Trump on Monday ordered an immediate halt to military aid to Ukraine. The Trump administration said it was aimed at forcing all sides to commit to peace talks.

As VOA's Henry Ridgwell reports, European leaders have said it is vital to continue arms shipments to Kiev. However, it is not clear how long Ukraine can continue to hold out without aid.

As news broke of Washington's decision to cut off military aid to Kiev, Russian drone attacks continued over Ukrainian cities.

Ukrainian lawmakers say the consequences of Washington's decision will be severe.

"This means that thousands of people will die," says Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Goncharenko.

West of Donetsk, near the city of Pokrovsk, the fighting continues.

"We use an Italian 'Howitzer' artillery gun. However, we get a lot of ammunition from the United States. It is a NATO standard, which is used both in Europe and in America. But will Europe now be able to supply us, I hope so," says the commander of the unit of the 14th Ukrainian brigade, who uses the nickname "Berf".

Can Europe make up for the lack of military aid from the United States?

"There are certain systems, like Patriot missiles, or spare parts for Abrams tanks that the Ukrainians use. The only way the Europeans can get them is to buy them on the open market. That takes time," says Mark Galeotti, a Russia expert at Mayak Intelligence.

However, Ukraine is producing more and more weapons.

"Probably about half of the weapons it uses now, Ukraine produces itself. The rest is provided by the United States and other countries, including the Europeans," says Malcolm Chalmers of the Royal United Services Institute.

Washington provides vital aid, such as transporting Western weapons to Ukraine.

"The United States plays a very important role by providing information and intelligence to Ukrainian forces," says analyst Chalmers.

The Trump administration says the military aid freeze was done, as US officials explain, "to help reach a resolution."

"The United States, Europe, and Ukraine cannot continue this war indefinitely. Therefore, it is important that everyone participates in the negotiations," says JD Vance, Vice President of the United States.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said over the weekend that there is a coalition of countries that want to continue support for Ukraine.

"Vice President Vance's claim that many European leaders publicly offer support to Kiev while privately expressing skepticism is not entirely inaccurate. The question in this case is, would these countries continue to drain their military reserves and anger their country's main ally and security guarantor to continue supporting Ukraine?" says Russia expert Mark Galeotti.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky informed the Trump administration on Tuesday, through a post on the social network 'X', that Ukraine is committed to peace.

For Ukrainians, suffering from Russian airstrikes, the cutoff of American aid is a bitter outcome.

"I hope President Trump changes his mind. The victim of aggression cannot be guilty and punished," says Viktoria, a resident of Kiev.

"Maybe Europe can help somehow. Hope is only left in Europe now, nowhere else," says Illia, a resident of Kiev.

Meanwhile, Russia welcomed Washington's decision to halt military aid to Ukraine, saying that "the situation must be resolved by peaceful means." /VOA