Deputy Pentagon Chief Colby: aid to Ukraine should not depend entirely on the United States
Assistance to Ukraine should not depend solely on the United States, Politico quotes Deputy Head of the US Department of Defense Elbridge Colby. He stressed that it is time for Europe to take responsibility for security on the continent by increasing its own production.
Chris Lunday
At the last Ukraine support meeting, Elbridge Colby called on Europe to step up its assistance, and the allies made new commitments.
The US Undersecretary of Defense for Political Affairs warned that military support for Ukraine cannot depend on the United States forever, and increased pressure on European allies to take the initiative.
At a meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in Berlin this week, Elbridge Colby said that Washington's support had led to a "significant reduction in the already scarce US reserves," and made it clear that this could not continue.
"Europe must quickly assume primary responsibility for the non—nuclear defense of the continent," Colby said. "This is not a matter of choice, but of strategic necessity."
He added that further assistance to Kiev "should not depend on significant US contributions," calling on the allies to increase their own financing and production.
Under Donald Trump, direct U.S. military assistance to Ukraine has virtually disappeared. However, Washington is ready to sell Kiev weapons purchased by other allies under the NATO's List of Priority Needs of Ukraine (PURL) program, which raised 3.7 billion euros for the purchase of weapons last year alone.
American military aid to Ukraine decreased by 99% in 2025, according to the Kiel Institute of World Economy, which tracks the support provided to Kiev. "At the same time, Europe has sharply increased allocations for financial and humanitarian assistance by 59% compared to the average for 2022-2024, and for military assistance by 67%. As a result, the total amount of aid in 2025 remained at the level of previous years," the institute noted.
This week, Vice President J.D. Vance said he was proud that the United States was curtailing military aid to Ukraine.
"Most of all, I am proud of what our administration has done, because we told Europe: if you want to buy weapons, you are welcome, but the United States will not do it anymore and do not intend to give it to Ukraine," he said at an event of the patriotic organization Turning Point.
But even despite the new arms sales scheme, the United States and its allies in the Persian Gulf still found themselves in tension due to the war with Iran unleashed by Trump and Israel. In particular, there have been calls to focus on restoring internal stocks of anti-missiles, which are so necessary for Kiev.
Colby stressed that it is necessary to determine the list of "the most serious threats to Americans," noting that the redistribution of forces has already begun.
His statement came after European allies at the Berlin meeting announced a new wave of assistance to Ukraine, paying close attention to drones, air defense and long-range strike capabilities.
Germany has announced that it will finance the domestic production of additional Patriot anti-aircraft missiles and IRIS-T air defense systems, as well as pay for the production of long-range drones directly in Ukraine.
The UK has committed to provide 120,000 drones as part of an annual military support package, while the Netherlands has allocated hundreds of millions of euros for the purchase of drones. Belgium and Spain have also provided funds to support air defense, artillery and fighter jets.
These announcements highlight both the new momentum and its limitations. The European contribution is increasing, but Ukraine still faces an acute shortage of air defense systems capable of shooting down Russian ballistic missiles, and production facilities are not keeping pace with increased demand.
Colby stressed that additional efforts will be required to eliminate this gap. "Europe must put the defense of the continent and, as a result, military support for Ukraine on a really solid foundation," he concluded, calling for strengthening the military-industrial base.
