The Undersecretary of Defense of the United States for Political Affairs, Elbridge Colby, urged this Tuesday the European partners of NATO to accept that they are facing "a prolonged conflict" in Ukraine and to sustain military support for Kiev over the next "months and years," in light of the reconstitution of Russian forces and the strengthening of their defense industry.
"We cannot predict when this tragic war will end. As you all know well, Russia is reconstituting its forces and its industrial defense capacity. We must prepare for a prolonged conflict and for Ukraine's needs to persist in the coming months and years," he pointed out in an open session of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, held via teleconference.
The Pentagon's 'number two' has called on allies to "be realistic" despite the "efforts" of the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to achieve "lasting peace," and warned them that they must also be ready for "other plausible contingencies." In his view, this scenario makes it "even more important" for Europe to maintain its support for Ukraine while accelerating its own rearmament and reindustrialization, although he acknowledged that European partners have already begun to make progress in that direction and urged not to fall "into complacency."
Colby also asked European governments to preserve and even "increase" their contribution to the immediate needs of Ukrainian forces through the PURL initiative, the Priority Requirements List for Ukraine, a NATO mechanism for European countries to acquire U.S. weapons intended to strengthen Ukrainian defense.
He argued that the constant supply of ammunition and key military capabilities is "essential" for Ukrainian troops to hold the front and curb new Russian advances, after emphasizing that in recent months Kiev has managed to maintain a "firm defense." He stressed that the United States is willing to continue supporting this effort, but reiterated that the primary responsibility for militarily bolstering Ukraine and strengthening the conventional defense of the continent must fall on Europe.
The undersecretary has defended that the shift towards a European defense with greater involvement from the allies "is no longer a mere concept," but rather "is consolidating and producing tangible results," and has insisted that a Europe that takes on more responsibility for its security is "fully compatible" with maintaining a "solid and viable" Ukrainian defense. In this sense, he has stated that "Ukraine's ability to deny Russia the gains it seeks" is not only "crucial for Ukraine's self-defense," but constitutes "an important example for Europe of how a credible conventional defense in the military realm can prevent territorial advances."
Rutte calls for strengthening bilateral support for Kiev
For his part, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has warned that Russia is adjusting its military capabilities on the ground, increasing the use of North Korean missiles and deploying new types of drones, which, in his view, forces the allies to double down on support for Kiev.
"The allies, as we know, committed to providing 70 billion euros (to Ukraine) in Ankara, and to reach that figure more bilateral support will be needed. Nations must make a greater effort. I believe we have no other option," stated the head of the Alliance, who emphasized the need for member states to raise their individual contributions.
In this line, he has highlighted the PURL initiative, noting that it "continues to function" and "continues to deliver critical equipment to Ukraine, including air defense," through an "uninterrupted flow" that he considers "absolutely essential" for the Ukrainian government to protect its cities and sustain the front line against Russian attacks.