UAVs for Ukraine: Europe is willing to spend
In February 2023, Germany selected Helsing to produce 6,000 additional strike drones for Ukraine. (Photo: Helsing)
Despite President Donald Trump’s suspension of military aid to Ukraine, Shephard Defence Insight data suggests that in relation to UAVs, Europe and its non-US NATO allies are more than willing to fill any spending vacuum and are already contributing more than twice as much as the US.
The US is suspending military aid to Ukraine, days after President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s public disagreement at the White House.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, the US has allocated an estimated $1 billion for the acquisition of UAVs destined for Ukraine.
Europe and other NATO allies, such as Canada and Australia, may be required to fill this UAV vacuum, with the UK Prime Minister Sir Kier Starmer calling for a “coalition of the willing” during a meeting of 18 world leaders on Sunday.
According to data from Shephard Defence Insight, however, the so-called collation of
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