Ukraine’s President clashed with shifting U.S. priorities as Trump’s Pentagon Chief skipped a key NATO meeting and Zelenskyy pleaded for $18 billion more in weapons.
At a Glance
- Ukraine’s Zelenskyy requested $18 billion more in weapons from Western allies
- U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth skipped the Ukraine Defense Contact Group forum
- Total Western military aid to Ukraine has reached approximately $126 billion
- European leaders expressed alarm over potential U.S. troop withdrawals
- NATO partners pledged increased drone production and weapons support
Strategic Shift or Silent Snub?
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a high-stakes appeal this week at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, calling for urgent delivery of additional U.S.-made Patriot missile systems to blunt Russian air attacks. The plea came amid a notable absence: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, marking the first time a Pentagon Chief has missed the group’s sessions since its 2022 formation.
While Zelenskyy characterized Patriot systems as essential to halting Russian missile barrages, Hegseth’s no-show sent a different message. The Trump administration, now overseeing U.S. defense policy, appears to be executing a quiet pivot away from Europe’s frontline war—and the near-blank checkbook approach of past years.
Since the conflict began, Ukraine has received approximately $126 billion in military aid, with over $66.5 billion coming from U.S. coffers. Zelenskyy’s latest request includes an $18 billion “funding gap” he claims is needed to maintain frontline momentum.
Watch a report: Zelenskyy urges air defense help as U.S. steps back.
NATO Friction Grows
European leaders, increasingly anxious about the U.S. downgrading its role in Ukraine, responded with both pledges and panic. U.K. Defense Secretary John Healey announced plans to expand drone production tenfold, stating the war was “a battle for the security of Europe.” Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene echoed that urgency, emphasizing the existential stakes for Europe’s east.
The anxiety comes amid speculation that the Trump administration could reduce or redeploy U.S. troops stationed in Europe to focus more heavily on China and Indo-Pacific deterrence. French President Emmanuel Macron warned such moves could embolden Beijing, particularly over Taiwan, by undermining Washington’s credibility as a global security partner.
Zelenskyy also floated a controversial proposal: that allies consider buying weapons from Ukraine directly, asserting that Ukrainian industry has “significant untapped capacity” if given financing. Critics interpreted the appeal as a push to further monetize the war effort amid tightening Western budgets.
A New Era of Accountability?
The Trump administration’s cool posture reflects its broader foreign policy realignment. In public and private, officials have described Ukraine as Europe’s war to win—or lose. Hegseth’s absence, while symbolic, may be the first step in conditioning allies for a more transactional U.S. role going forward.
That shift is already prompting recalibrations across NATO. European governments are weighing increased defense budgets and industrial ramp-ups. Yet even among staunch Ukraine backers, the strain is showing. As the war grinds past its third year, calls for burden-sharing are growing louder, and questions about U.S. overreach are no longer confined to the political fringe.
With billions already spent and no resolution in sight, Zelenskyy’s latest request may represent a turning point. If U.S. strategy now favors self-containment over escalation, Ukraine’s Western backers could find themselves facing an uncomfortable future—one funded far more by European treasuries than by Washington’s.
