Ukraine Needs Arms, Intel Only U.S. Can Provide --- Kyiv has developed its own weapons, EU has boosted support, but it isn't enough

 

“Warnings by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and disruptions to SpaceX's Starlink network have exposed how vulnerable Kyiv would be if the U.S. withdrew all of its support, threatening everything from drone strikes to air defenses.

 

Ukrainian forces on Wednesday said their access to satellite communications was throttled, slowing their drones. This week Zelensky said Ukraine hadn't received warnings from its partners that usually allow its air defenses to intercept Russian ballistic missiles.

 

President Trump has demanded that Ukraine stop hitting Russian oil refineries and called for Zelensky to step down, raising the prospect that Washington could cut off its backing for Kyiv.

 

Ukraine has developed its own weapons to wean itself off U.S. help, and Europe has boosted its financial and military support as Washington pulls back. Overall, Ukraine is much less beholden to the U.S. for its defense from 2022. But there are still things that only the U.S. can provide.

 

Starlink

 

Starlink and its military version, Starshield, are unique in their satellite coverage, signal strength and transmission capabilities. Canada and European countries are developing systems that will have some of Starlink's scale and potency, but not before 2028 at the earliest, said people familiar with their rollout.

 

Warning system

 

America's globe-spanning ballistic-missile early warning system can detect heat from a rocket launch, which is then confirmed by a worldwide network of missile-tracking radars, said Thomas Withington of the Royal United Services Institute, a military-focused think tank.

 

It "is close to irreplaceable," said Franz-Stefan Gady, a Vienna-based military analyst and head of Gady Consulting.

 

Kyiv's European allies provide satellite and other airborne intelligence, but it lacks the precision, scope and capabilities of that coming from the U.S. In terms of missile alerts, "Europe has nothing comparable and won't for years," Gady said.

 

Interceptors

 

Ukraine has relied on the U.S. for advanced missile interceptors, particularly Patriot PAC-3 MSE rockets, to shoot down ballistic missiles. But even before Trump renewed pressure on Kyiv over its strikes on Russian refineries, supplies of those interceptors dwindled. U.S. stockpiles were spent in the Mideast this year defending against Iranian attacks.

 

Meanwhile, Europe and Ukraine are offering alternatives. The makers of the French-Italian Samp/T say their latest version can tackle ballistic missiles. The system is on its way to Ukraine.

 

At least two Ukrainian companies are working on ballistic-missile interceptors with European peers, with the first expected to come into operation as early as the middle of 2027. A British startup says it is set to produce its own.

 

Air-defense mapping

 

Ukrainian intelligence services have developed their own data on Russian infrastructure and military assets using a mix of allied intelligence, Ukrainian drones, human intelligence and other sources including hacked video cameras inside Russia.

 

But the U.S. also has helped Ukraine conduct strikes on Russian assets, say people familiar with the operations.

 

U.S. technology and intelligence have helped Ukraine refine its data for strikes, including through precise information on the altitude of targets, according to a European military official.

 

One crucial capability: U.S. surveillance can give a very detailed picture of Russian air defenses through the systems' electromagnetic signatures, said Withington.

 

Information on weak spots in Russia's aerial defenses has helped Ukraine to guide drones and missiles to avoid interception, he said.

 

F-16 jet fighters

 

Ukraine has gathered a fleet of secondhand F-16 jet fighters, donated by European allies in recent years. Kyiv relies on the U.S. for spare parts, maintenance, software upgrades and arms for the U.S.-made aircraft.

 

Many of the F-16 supplies are being paid for by Ukraine's European allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, through a program called the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, or PURL. Ukraine's NATO allies and others, including Australia and New Zealand, have pledged more than $4 billion to PURL since it was launched last year.

 

A halt to PURL would deprive Ukraine of vital equipment, but Washington might be reluctant to back out of the program, given it is an export earner for U.S. defense companies.

 

Ukraine's munitions stocks for the F-16s dried up months ago, and pilots are reliant on the planes to shoot down the jet-powered drones, say air-defense officers. Spare parts to fix the U.S.-supplied M777 howitzer must still get Washington's sign off, even though they are made in the U.K.” [1]

 

1. World News: Ukraine Needs Arms, Intel Only U.S. Can Provide --- Kyiv has developed its own weapons, EU has boosted support, but it isn't enough. Michaels, Daniel.  Wall Street Journal, Eastern edition; New York, N.Y.. 16 Oct 2026: A6.