According to Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, Europe's funding of Ukraine's defense gives the continent the right to have a seat at the table in peace negotiations mediated by the United States. This is reported by Bloomberg, writes UNN.
The situation is getting a bit strange. We are paying for the war and we don't even always have full information
Sikorski's comments came after British Defense Minister John Healey announced on Thursday that allies had pledged up to $35 billion in new military aid to Ukraine to strengthen air defense after a series of large-scale Russian airstrikes on energy infrastructure and civilian targets.
UK allocates £500 million to strengthen Ukraine's air defense - Gili12.02.26, 11:00 • [views_3368]
According to Sikorski, Europe has already spent more than 200 billion euros ($167 billion) and pledged another 90 billion euros, which, in his estimation, should be enough for Ukraine's defense for another two years.
We are spending real money, while the US is actually profiting from this war. This gives us the right to participate in shaping the arrangements and determining the outcomes.
The publication notes that envoys of US President Donald Trump are intensifying efforts to end Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stating this month that the US has set a deadline for completing negotiations by June. Recent talks between Russia, the US, and Ukraine did not include any European representatives, raising concerns on the continent about the possibility of a deal being concluded without its participation.
The Polish foreign minister also refuted dictator Vladimir Putin's claims about the alleged imminent victory of his forces in Ukraine.
"Ukraine is not losing this war; Ukraine is inflicting huge losses on Russia," Sikorski said, adding that Moscow is running out of resources and has even sold some of its gold reserves to support its war economy.
He noted that Russia cannot fully control Donbas, a territory in eastern Ukraine that Moscow demands be included in any peace settlement. In recent weeks, Russia's slow offensive actions have led to minor gains, but with huge losses. Western officials estimate that Moscow is now losing troops faster than it can replenish them.
Despite this, Sikorski urged Europe to remain vigilant about future threats from Moscow. "Russian capabilities are not what we thought - they cannot win in Donbas - but their intentions are much worse," he said.
The warning came amid growing concern in Europe about a possible US withdrawal from continental defense, leaving Europe largely alone to deter potential future Russian aggression.
Sikorski noted that US demands for Europe to bear the burden of its own defense are not new, and the continent has not always kept previous promises in this area, leading to "greater frankness" between the US and other NATO allies.
"Europe needs to get serious," he said. "We Europeans now need to build up our ground forces."