Europe may have to secure Ukraine’s victory without U.S. support, German political scientist says
Europe should shift from a policy focused on preventing Ukraine’s defeat to a strategy aimed at securing its victory in the war against Russia, preparing, if necessary, to pursue this goal without U.S. support.
German political scientist Stefan Meister, from the German Council on Foreign Relations, warned on Ukrinform that Europe might need to secure Ukraine's victory without the U.S. providing support. He emphasized the need for a strategy ensuring Ukraine's triumph, rather than merely preventing a defeat. Meister pointed out that recent U.S. President Donald Trump's actions and statements have heightened Europe's role in enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities.
He did not dismiss the possibility that European nations could pursue Ukraine's victory alongside Kyiv, but without U.S. involvement. Ukraine must prepare for potential reductions in U.S. support, although Washington remains crucial due to its intelligence capabilities, the Starlink system, and specific weaponry. Meister noted that Washington may restrict intelligence and targeting data sharing with Ukraine or even end the cooperation.
He stressed that Ukraine should maintain close ties with Washington, carefully evaluating the consequences of U.S. actions as the loss of American intelligence support could have grave implications. France and the United Kingdom already provide Ukraine with intelligence, but their capabilities are far less than those of the U.S. in terms of both scale and quality.
Meister suggested that Ukraine may need to rely primarily on European and Ukrainian intelligence sources at some point, but Europe cannot fully compensate for the end of U.S. assistance. He called for Ukraine to develop its own weapons and defense systems faster, while European partners should accelerate financial and technological aid.
Starlink terminals introduced by SpaceX have faced speed restrictions while in motion, and Ukraine's Defense Forces were not notified in advance about these changes.
Written by urgent.news from Ukrinform - Politics's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
