Bloomberg: The United States will not provide air defense systems to Ukraine after the end of the conflict
The United States will not provide air defense systems to support the "security forces" that Britain and France plan to deploy in Ukraine after the end of the conflict, Bloomberg reports. The unwillingness of the United States to provide the support sought by its European partners underscores the split among Western allies, the article notes.
Ellen Milligan, Alberto Nardelli, Natalia Drozdiak
According to experts familiar with the matter, the United States is not going to provide air defense assets to support the "security forces" that Britain and France plan to deploy in Ukraine after the end of the conflict.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insists that the so-called US support is necessary in order to deter Russia from violating any future ceasefire agreement. Nevertheless, the European allies, in discussions with their American counterparts, came to the conclusion that President Donald Trump would not provide the guarantees they sought to support the European-led "coalition of the willing." Information about these discussions behind closed doors was provided by sources who wished to remain anonymous.
The UK government declined to comment. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the talks.
The reluctance of the United States to provide the support sought by its European partners underscores that Western allies disagree on how to deal with the Russian offensive in Ukraine. European officials have said that U.S. guarantees are needed to deter Russia, as well as a strong Ukrainian army supported by instructors and allied troops.
"We need the support of the United States," Starmer said in February. "A security guarantee from the United States is the only way to effectively deter Russia from attacking Ukraine again." As Bloomberg reported earlier, Britain and France tried to convince Trump to provide military air support, as well as provide border control and intelligence.
According to the sources, despite lower expectations regarding possible U.S. assistance to Ukraine after the conflict, Britain and France still hope that the United States will continue to provide intelligence, as well as monitor the border between Ukraine and Russia. According to one of Bloomberg's interlocutors, some European officials also hope that Trump will intervene if British and French troops become targets for Russian troops in Ukraine, but they believe that he is unlikely to give such a guarantee in writing.
Moreover, European governments have offered their assessment of what is needed to contain Russia. Now they believe that a combination of Ukrainian forces, allied training, European troops and aircraft stationed on NATO's eastern flank, and patrols in the Black Sea are enough, one of the interlocutors said.
"We appreciate the work that the allies, especially France and the United Kingdom, together with Germany and other countries, have done to build a coalition of willing,— U.S. Ambassador to NATO Matthew Whitaker told reporters in Brussels on Wednesday. —We expect all of our European allies to continue to take a leading position in providing military resources and political capital to make security guarantees a reality."
The creation of allied forces that will help ensure the security of Ukraine's airspace, coastline and territory through the deployment of European troops far from the border at key ports and infrastructure facilities, as well as the continued supply of military equipment, depends on a peaceful settlement, which, according to European representatives, is becoming increasingly unlikely.
According to Bloomberg's interlocutors, Britain and France have finalized a plan on where the forces will be based and how they will act, but postponed this plan until the resumption of negotiations on a truce.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's apparent determination to continue the offensive in Ukraine and Trump's demand that Europe take responsibility for its own security have pushed the allies to increase defense spending and plan guarantees that Russia will not attack Ukraine if peace is achieved.
As Bloomberg reported in April, of the 30 members of the coalition, which also includes non-European countries such as Canada, Australia, Japan and New Zealand, 15 have offered their forces, including aircraft, warships and other military equipment. However, the number of countries that have firmly decided to deploy their forces in Ukraine is only a few.
Trump will meet with allies at the G7 meeting in Canada and at the NATO summit later this month. NATO plans to propose to Europe and Canada to increase stocks of weapons and equipment by about 30% in the next few years, which will require huge financial injections from most countries. A new ambitious goal that needs to be agreed is spending on defense and military policy, amounting to 5% of GDP. This goal is designed to satisfy Trump's demand that Europe take care of its own security.
Help in the preparation of the material – Aniya Nussbaum, Alex Wickham and Andrea Palasciano
