Europe Moves to Replace Starlink in Ukraine

God Speed.

Europe and Ukraine must make a decisive break from American military dependence—step by step, system by system.

This effort has been underway for some time. According to Western officials, American weapons now make up just 20% of Ukraine’s battlefield arsenal—down from 35% last year, as President Zelensky noted. This decline reflects a conscious effort to diversify military supplies, but also Ukraine's growing domestic weapons production, which has likely contributed to reducing the overall reliance on both European and American arms.

However, the final 20-30% of Ukraine’s dependence on U.S. weapons includes some of the most critical systems—Patriot long-range air defense, ATACMS long-range missiles, electronic warfare capabilities, and the vast American surveillance infrastructure that remains the backbone of both Ukrainian and European security. Eliminating this reliance entirely will be difficult, but reducing it as much as possible is essential.

The most immediate vulnerability is Starlink—Ukraine’s battlefield nerve center. If Washington pulls the plug, the impact on Ukraine’s military operations would be severe. Europe must start the transition away from Starlink immediately.