US in talks with Europe on tapping defence stockpiles for Ukraine
President Donald Trump on Monday backed a plan for European allies to buy US weapons for Ukraine to ease pressure on American funding.
Trump's decision comes as Russia ramps up not only assaults along the frontlines but also attacks on Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles.
'There is an ongoing conversation' about the US giving up weapons from its own arsenal – such as Patriot air defence systems – the US Ambassador to NATO, Matthew Whitaker, said on Thursday.
However, the US administration 'won't ever put the US at strategic disadvantage', he told a group of reporters, including Euractiv. Whitaker said the US is currently working at a fast pace with its NATO military allies to enable them to purchase US-made defence gear for Ukraine directly, and to replace their own donations of urgently needed equipment – a process known as "backfilling".
Germany, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Canada have signalled interest in doing so, NATO's chief Mark Rutte said on Monday. Kyiv eager for Patriots
Ukraine is eyeing the US-made Patriot system in particular – a highly sophisticated surface-to-air defence platform designed to intercept missiles and aircraft – to defend itself against Russian attacks. Kyiv has already received six operational Patriot batteries from the US, Germany, Romania, and the Netherlands, according to UK-based arms monitor Action on Armed Violence.
However, lead times for Patriot missiles are estimated in years – clashing with Trump's timeline for pressuring Vladimir Putin into a deal within the next 50 days.
This suggests that the US would have to rely on its own stockpiles and systems already in production, both for Ukraine and for backfilling. Already, the US is 'looking at what we have available both in our possession and across our defence sector, and prioritising and making it available for the defence of Ukraine,' Trump's envoy said – suggesting the US defence sector may have to prioritise Kyiv over other customers. No timelines
Whitaker declined to give any indication of the type of weapon to be sent and the timeline.
'We are moving with haste to facilitate this and get it done. Things are moving very quickly', he said.
When it comes to the US providing weapons that can strike deep into Russia, Whitaker also said that there are 'discussions'.
The weapons included in the packages will be agreed upon based on what Ukraine needs, what the US has available, and how quickly they can get to Kyiv, the ambassador said.
NATO will work as the coordination platform, though details remain elusive.
Whitaker said putting NATO at the centre of the process made sense because the top commander has visibility into what is available in each member state's stockpiles.
Having Europeans pay for US weapons deliveries to Ukraine is an important win for Trump, who campaigned on ending the flow of American taxpayers' money to military aid for Kyiv. (aw)
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