MERZ: EUROPE IS PAYING TO KEEP UKRAINE DEFENDED

“The U.S. are no longer contributing to the defense of Ukraine in terms of paying for weapons and for equipment,” Merz said, describing the substantial pressure on European budgets and the determination to sustain that effort until Russia’s war ends.

European countries are funding weapons from their own industries and purchasing American equipment for Ukraine. Through the NATO-coordinated PURL initiative, allies and partners finance supplies sourced from the United States, including urgently needed military equipment and ammunition.

For Ukrainians, those commitments must become something tangible: equipment for soldiers, ammunition for their weapons and defenses for their communities.

But Europe must also recognise what Ukraine has given in return. By resisting Russia’s invasion, Ukrainian defenders have bought European countries precious time to strengthen their borders, build defensive obstacles, train forces, organise logistics and expand weapons production.

That time has been paid for in Ukrainian lives. Soldiers have held positions under relentless attack. Families have buried their loved ones. Communities have endured destruction while European governments have had the opportunity to prepare for a threat Ukraine is already fighting.

The measure of Europe’s response will be what it has built with that time: functioning defenses, stocked ammunition depots, trained formations and factories capable of sustaining deliveries. Announcements and spending commitments matter when they produce equipment that reaches the people who need it.

Ukraine’s sacrifice deserves a response equal to its significance. Europe must demonstrate that it has used these years to become harder to threaten—and more capable of helping Ukraine survive

Merz’s commitment is welcome. Carrying it through means strengthening Europe’s defenses while keeping Ukraine supplied today. The country that bought Europe time must not be left waiting for the protection that time was supposed to make possible.