Western aid in wartime
Most of Ukraine's war effort currently relies on Western aid.
Corina Cristea, 18.09.2026, 14:00
Support from the United States and Europe has allowed Kyiv to withstand a much larger Russian army for over four and a half years. The question now is: how solid is this support, and to what extent can it truly change the course of the war? The front lines are currently witnessing not just a battle for territory, but an unprecedented technological competition. Drones, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and long-range missiles are all reshaping the rules of engagement. In this race, Ukraine is striving to turn Western backing into a decisive advantage, all while facing simultaneous front-line pressure, relentless bombing of its cities and a systematic war against its energy infrastructure.
Military analyst Radu Tudor discusses Western assistance:
“It is 100% military, financial, logistic, and economic support in favor of Ukraine. We have clear evidence that the heroism of Ukrainians defending their country and their territorial integrity could not have materialized the way it did without massive Western backing. Hundreds of billions of euros and dollars have flowed to Ukraine, a country severely tested by this bloody war of Russian invasion on Ukrainian soil. When Vladimir Putin launched this illegal war, he imagined he would conquer and invade Ukraine in three days. Well, more than four and a half years have passed, and not only is Ukraine resisting, but it is beginning to teach Russia some harsh lessons and is getting its modern weapon systems in order. The West also had to step up because, until now, the support provided followed a principle that can perhaps be called into question, namely, not provoking Russia. Russia has already caused immense damage worth hundreds of billions to Ukraine, has already unleashed a war that is shaking all of Europe, and Westerners said: we will not deliver longer-range missiles, highly efficient missiles to strike targets on the territory of the Russian Federation. Well, this Western hesitation has also prolonged the war, because it is clear Putin will not stop this war. But if Ukraine has stronger defense capabilities and the power to strike strategic targets on the territory of the Russian Federation, an operation that is absolutely permissible and legal under international conventions, as an invaded and attacked country has the right to defend itself, then we might hear very good news from Ukraine very soon”.
At the meeting of the so-called Coalition for the Willing, organized in August on Ukraine’s Independence Day, pledges pointed toward transforming support for Kyiv from a policy predominantly based on arms deliveries into a long-term industrial and technological partnership. London will allow access to classified technology necessary to produce Storm Shadow cruise missiles within Ukraine, while Paris will provide technical information regarding the SCALP missile, a weapon with a range of over 250 kilometers.
Military analyst Radu Tudor believes this approach should have been adopted much sooner:
“Western states, alongside the hundreds of billions in aid they gave to Ukraine, should have also included technology transfer. ‘You, Ukraine, produce your own weapons to defend yourself, but we will supply you with the most high-performing technology’, and that is what they asked for, too. I believe that an exchange of Western technology to Ukraine would not prolong the war, but rather shorten it. If Ukraine, as it stands right now, manages to strike strategic targets, once it has high-performing Western technology and missiles, it could put Russia in its place very quickly. Unfortunately, Putin only understands the language of force, and seeing the huge gap and Ukraine’s capability, he might be forced to seek a peace solution, a peace that we all desire. First and foremost, the Ukrainians want it, but right alongside them, so do we in the Euro-Atlantic space”.
While the United States was the primary supplier of advanced weaponry to Ukraine during the first two years of the invasion, the picture looks different in 2026. Europe has become the main pillar of support for Kyiv, while Ukrainian access to certain American systems remains essential, particularly in air defense.
This area represents one of the primary vulnerabilities, Radu Tudor warns:
“I believe the Ukrainians’ biggest vulnerability right now is anti-missile systems. What we see every day, namely the incredible slaughter of civilians by the Russians in Kyiv and many other cities, is partly because Ukraine has depleted its anti-missile defense weaponry and ammunition. This is where Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s insistent request to the United States and other states comes from: give us Patriot systems. With 30 Patriot systems, Ukraine could defend its entire territory against cruise missiles and hypersonic missiles launched by Russia. Since this capability does not exist, nor does the sufficiently well-defined desire of Western states to offer these systems, they are sitting in stock. Romania set an example in this regard. Out of the seven systems we purchased, we donated one to Ukraine. Obviously, there are other states with much stronger economies than ours that could make this gesture. Germany gave three systems, the Netherlands gave one, and those were very welcome gestures; but if every NATO member state could make such a gesture, Ukraine would be 100% protected”.
On the flip side, within this equation, Ukraine offers the West something that cannot be simulated on a firing range: the experience of a real, high-intensity war. The lessons learned by Ukrainian soldiers are now being taught across NATO member states. (VP)
