The decision of the US Presidential Administration Donald Trump to suspend military assistance to Ukraine will be a serious challenge for the country's defense capability, despite the fact that experts say, this will not lead to instant consequences on the battlefield. AP writes about it, emphasizing that the US stopped providing some types of weapons that were crucial to the Ukrainian forces.
The Pentagon representative reported that Trump's order concerns not only new deliveries, but also weapons that have already been approved and sent to Ukraine. However, the exact details that have been banned from weapons remain unclear.
The publication also draws attention to the fact that since the beginning of the war, the United States has used two main ways of supplying weapons to Ukraine: presidential permission to take weapons from the Pentagon reserves and initiative to provide security assistance, which provides long -term contracts. Some types of weapons approved by Joe Baiden's administration were banned, but the exact amount of assistance left on the way to Ukraine is still unknown.
One of the greatest consequences of suspension of assistance is the weakening of Ukraine's air defense, in particular the lack of missiles for the Patriot system, which is critical for the protection of Ukrainian cities from Russian air attacks. Patrick Bary, a host expert, noted that many of the US supplied could not be replaced by other countries in the short term.
In spite of these difficulties, Ukraine has significant reserves of artillery shells and other ammunition, as well as increased production of drones, which gives some advantages. Also, most of the military equipment used by the Ukrainian forces is produced within the country, which partially offset the loss of Western aid.
Experts say that Ukraine can resist defense difficulties due to innovation and growth of its own production, but this blow to material resources is serious and creates additional challenges for Europe. Chalmers, expert Rusi, noted that this step is not only a material blow, but also a challenge for Ukraine allies on the continent.
At the same time, some experts point out that although this suspension of assistance will have serious consequences for Ukraine's defense capability, the country will be forced to look for alternative ways of ensuring its defense.
