EU unable to substitute US assistance to Ukraine – Bloomberg
European NATO countries are facing challenges in increasing and maintaining military production to ensure a steady supply of support for Kiev in the ongoing conflict. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
A report indicates that Western European supporters of Kiev remain hopeful of sustaining Ukrainian military efforts in the event that Donald Trump cuts funding once he assumes the presidency.
According to Bloomberg, if Trump halts aid to Kiev, Washington’s allies in Europe would struggle to provide adequate military supplies. The article points out that Ukraine has depleted its pre-conflict stockpiles of Soviet-era equipment, rendering it heavily reliant on Western assistance for resources. The United States has been the primary source of military aid, while the European Union has provided significant financial support.
Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Marek Prawda, stated, “Kiev will be left at Russia’s mercy” without US weapon supplies. He also emphasized that regardless of Trump's actions concerning Ukraine, it is crucial to adapt to a shifting global landscape by saying, “we are entering a more transactional world and we need to mobilize ourselves to fit into that logic.”
Bloomberg noted that European NATO nations are already facing difficulties in fulfilling their own rearmament requirements. Any aid they can offer to Ukraine "cannot supplant" the military support provided by the US, especially in areas such as artillery and small-arms ammunition.
The US is responsible for supplying over half of the missiles and rockets sent to Ukraine, according to public estimates. The intelligence provided by Washington, described as “key to Ukraine’s targeting of Russian assets,” has been deemed irreplaceable by the report.
Bloomberg also expressed a more positive view on Ukraine's capability to produce arms and ammunition domestically. It mentioned that Germany's Rheinmetall, a significant supplier to Ukraine, has increased its output.
The report highlighted that Russia has been relentlessly attacking Ukraine's power infrastructure and military production with missile and drone assaults, impacting various German civilian industries that have been forced to lay off employees and shut down facilities due to soaring energy costs.
“This is about political will,” said retired US general Ben Hodges, a pro-Ukrainian commentator, who contended that even without US support, “the combined economies of the West dwarf Russia.”
While acknowledging that Russian artillery shell production surpasses that of European NATO countries combined, Bloomberg reported that Moscow is now resorting to “North Korean stocks to keep up the pace of fire.” Ukrainian estimates suggest that the disparity in artillery shells has decreased to a 2:1 ratio from 7:1 just earlier this year. The article also noted Western claims that challenges could arise for the Russian economy and military industry by 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked on Thursday at the Collective Security Treaty Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, that Russia produces ten times more long-range weapons than all NATO members combined and plans to enhance that production by 25-30% in the upcoming year.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
According to Bloomberg, if Trump halts aid to Kiev, Washington’s allies in Europe would struggle to provide adequate military supplies. The article points out that Ukraine has depleted its pre-conflict stockpiles of Soviet-era equipment, rendering it heavily reliant on Western assistance for resources. The United States has been the primary source of military aid, while the European Union has provided significant financial support.
Poland’s deputy foreign minister, Marek Prawda, stated, “Kiev will be left at Russia’s mercy” without US weapon supplies. He also emphasized that regardless of Trump's actions concerning Ukraine, it is crucial to adapt to a shifting global landscape by saying, “we are entering a more transactional world and we need to mobilize ourselves to fit into that logic.”
Bloomberg noted that European NATO nations are already facing difficulties in fulfilling their own rearmament requirements. Any aid they can offer to Ukraine "cannot supplant" the military support provided by the US, especially in areas such as artillery and small-arms ammunition.
The US is responsible for supplying over half of the missiles and rockets sent to Ukraine, according to public estimates. The intelligence provided by Washington, described as “key to Ukraine’s targeting of Russian assets,” has been deemed irreplaceable by the report.
Bloomberg also expressed a more positive view on Ukraine's capability to produce arms and ammunition domestically. It mentioned that Germany's Rheinmetall, a significant supplier to Ukraine, has increased its output.
The report highlighted that Russia has been relentlessly attacking Ukraine's power infrastructure and military production with missile and drone assaults, impacting various German civilian industries that have been forced to lay off employees and shut down facilities due to soaring energy costs.
“This is about political will,” said retired US general Ben Hodges, a pro-Ukrainian commentator, who contended that even without US support, “the combined economies of the West dwarf Russia.”
While acknowledging that Russian artillery shell production surpasses that of European NATO countries combined, Bloomberg reported that Moscow is now resorting to “North Korean stocks to keep up the pace of fire.” Ukrainian estimates suggest that the disparity in artillery shells has decreased to a 2:1 ratio from 7:1 just earlier this year. The article also noted Western claims that challenges could arise for the Russian economy and military industry by 2025.
Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked on Thursday at the Collective Security Treaty Organization summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, that Russia produces ten times more long-range weapons than all NATO members combined and plans to enhance that production by 25-30% in the upcoming year.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
