Public sentiment regarding US support for Ukraine's air defense is overwhelmingly negative, marked by frustration and disappointment rooted in perceived inadequate support and Trump's perceived favoritism towards Russia. Many commenters express a sense of betrayal and skepticism regarding the effectiveness of military aid, alongside calls for Europe to take more responsibility. The conversation is polarized between support for Ukraine and criticism of continued aid in light of domestic concerns and corruption issues.

United States Government

Ukraine

European Union

To be honest, the shock has worn off from this type of comment. As Europeans we need to step up, pay the cost and do it ourselves. We need defense autonomy and to move away from US weapons.

Spooknik

Let's get to post war then start talking about it

Serious-Molasses-982

*From Bloomberg News:*

The US is refusing to provide air defenses to back the “reassurance force” the UK and France are planning in a postwar Ukraine, people familiar with the matter said.

While British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has insisted a US so-called backstop is essential to deter Russia from breaching any future ceasefire deal, European allies have come to the realization during discussions with their American counterparts that President Donald Trump won’t provide the guarantees they have sought to back the Europe-led ‘coalition of the willing,’ according to the people, who requested anonymity disclosing private discussions.

[Read the full story here.](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-06-04/us-said-to-refuse-air-cover-for-europe-forces-in-postwar-ukraine)

bloomberg

Zelenskyy is blowing up bridges.

Trump is burning bridges.

arvigeus

Well of course.

The US is now backing Putin

ProgrammerAvailable6

So ask European countries. We have many countries that have focused their military precisely on air superiority. There is no shortage of fighter jetsand pretty much every country have developed their own SAMs.

Hot_Perspective1

A “post war Ukraine” will also be a “post Trump USA”.   The idiocy will have left the room.

binding_swamp

This is not shocking but still disturbing.

Dman45EVA

The US has to turn its head to china. It’s time for Europe to defend itself. If the EU wants to defend a non nato country let them. China is the biggest threat

thebirdlawa

Honestly the world needs to stop relying on weapons from the USA.

Killance1

The next US administration is going to have so much work to do just to get back to where they were when Trump took office. It’s actually insane.

IntelligentIdiocracy

Man, this would have been the easiest slam dunk for the US military industrial complex.

Never seen a president throw an opportunity so hard.

eeke1

The U.S. gets criticized for acting like the world’s police, and now we’re getting criticized for stepping back. Feels like a no-win situation either way.

8_mikehawk

Ukraine is not a member state and article 6 specifies that article 5 obligations only include an attack on 1) territory on member states in Europe and 2) forces, vessels, or aircraft when in or over any of these member states or stationed when the NATO treaty came into force. 

In other words, there is no NATO obligation whatsoever to defend European troops in Ukraine until Ukraine joins NATO. 

If Europe wants to challenge that, it would be reasonable for the US to demand NATO obligations also hold for Guam and alike.

zapreon

this American does NOT support that policy

Holiday-Clock-4999

Pardon US while we endure the national constipation of eventually shitting out this treasonous turd and his team of titty boy traitors.

UsefulImpact6793

Trump refuses. Most Americans think different.

brickyardjimmy

Europe isn’t sending troops into Ukraine because EU leaders are a wet fart away from the entire continent shifting to a far right ideology and current regimes are terrified of the gains those groups are making.  Losing a few hundred or god forbid a few thousand young people will be the nail in their coffin. 

The same reason the EU didn’t grow a pair of testicles and cut off Russian energy products several years ago.  

Instead they kept taking it and whining the US wasn’t acting quickly enough.

Vlad is killing your citizens in broad daylight and dragging your communication cables and you did nothing.

The US isn’t sending troops because the majority of the adults here are pretty pissed that the EU has been funding Russia through energy purchases and “loaning” Ukraine weapons at a slow trickle. 

This is laughable because it’s the EU saying “we are totally gonna fight but we can’t because the US won’t offer air support but if they did bro, we’d be in there in a second.” 

Staaahhp this childish bullshit.

Ready-Issue190

The American economy has benefited greatly from the reliance on America defence forces and tech. Money is now flowing in to European arms manufacturers, spending is increasing, the talk is all about good jobs and investment that will be created by the transition. 

BodgeJob23

Honestly, this is good for both sides.

The US can't even afford national healthcare, it needs to divest from being the world's military and provide better for its citizens.

Europe needs to be more independent defensively for their own security, so their very existence doesn't hinge on who is president that year.

chinnick967

Judging by Russia's pitiful airforce the Polish Airforce is more than a match on their own.

sirnoggin

Can't have US forces shooting down Russian assets. Putin would be very upset with Taco if that happened.

Mangled_Mini1214

I mean...this is just another great reason to become a military powerhouse. It sucks that the US is anti-Europe but this just means that Europe will become militarily independent even if there is short-term pain.

yus456

The only solution is for Europe to stand on its own military and defense. I think it is in Europe's own interest to do so. If the EU was had defensive strength, they wouldn't have overpaid for US assets

ncolpi

America is not a steadfast ally, and we need to admit we over relied on them. Europe, Canada and the Uk must learn to stand on our own

Aromatic-Deer3886

[deleted]

Even if the Americans agreed, nobody would believe they would live up to their word. They are too unreliable

G_UK

At least this time, the American troop withdrawal isn’t as chaotic as it was in Saigon or Kabul .

medicsansgarantee

There is nothing wrong with Europe protecting itself. Let's stop hiding behind the paper tiger as a reason to not spend money or have the US foot the bill. 

But there is the other side to this. As Europe wakes up and decides to take care of an enemy it could easily wreck, it dilutes American soft power, much the way taking away USAID did. As the world changes, if it becomes safer, does it need the US? If China would stop threatening Taiwan, stopped selling guns to every dictator, propping up Iran and N Korea, how much of a need would we have for a military?

Lots of hypotheticals. But I question how long this sort of policy will last. Other presidents didn't understand how to use the military, said and di dumb things on the world stage, and things bounced back. We'll see.

Bullmoose39

First_Consequence741

Then why do we need all these US bases in Europe? Shut them down and ship them out.

Jensen1994

Trump has no balls, can’t be trusted for anything.

Kayos___

There should be zero NATO involvement in Ukraine until they are a member.  They cannot have membership until they repel Russia and eliminate the insurgency in their eastern boarder regions.

Cool-Airline-9172

Figured the US were out from the way they were talking about NATO in trumps first term. Always knew a second term would be dangerous for Europe and the wider world.

Flashjordan69

Thats why french and italian are ramping up production for interceptors for the sampt-t production, can't trust 'muricans word anymore, but hey it's nothing new.

Fit_Fisherman_9840

The timing is suspiciously the day after Agent Trump contacted his handler who said he was going to retaliate.

I know that the retaliation will mainly be against Ukraine but Russia has a history of attacking other European nations / murdering citizens there.

Intruder313

Patriot provides 2 things.Numbers and anti TBM capabilitys


Numbers are being worked on


And theres another system being developed that could cover the anti TBM role (although its main purpose is ABM)

Dpek1234

I'm struggling to find out why the USA needs to be part of that at all. 

We can certainly sell Europe anything they need.

But the USA doesn't need to provide anything else. We don't need to provide manpower, or airplanes, or anything else that is ours. 

That's a European job, or even a NATO job.

Maybe Europe should be thinking about funding NATO better, so NATO can fund the border protection

Analyst-Effective

Trump!  what a stain he and his supporters are on the honor and values of this nation. Rather he and they reflect the horror and stupidity that this nation has inflicted upon the world at times.  Trump can occasionally recognize problems (the soft on China consensus, the trade imbalance from Breton Woods outliving reality, the lack of European defense spending, etc etc), but then goes about making the problem far worse.  And most of his analysis of issues is just plain wrong.  Dead wrong. And his "solutions" makes things so much worse (Iran nuclear program, Climate crisis, trade deficits, etc).  Europe needs to stand up on it own with respect to its defense, and it is starting that process.  Good. But I pray that the US will recognize that our partnership with Europe has been the key to peace, strength and mutual prosperity.  While perhaps the post Trumpian relationship with a stronger Europe will not be the complete embrace of the past, it can still be a partnership for democracy and prosperity. I personally am sorry for the shit show we have unleashed on you all. And I am working hard to turn it around.  

One thing about the shit hitting the  fan..... it takes a long time to clean it up.

Capable_Diamond6251

A $1T budget and our military stockpile is diminished?   That is fucking crazy.

muffinhead2580

It's actually insane how Russia is able to keep up as far as missiles, air defense missiles, artillery etc

brnccnt7

Kind of hard to bring Putin to the table when Trump says there will be no more support for Ukraine once Biden support runs out in a few months. Of course they’re going to continue until that happens. 

Now the US is pulling munitions from Ukraine, that only brings that timeline forward.

Submitten

Ukraine now being put on the same arc of "support" that the Kurds have been bouncing around for years.

ChanceryTheRapper

And let's not forget ICE has a larger budget now than the Marines


Still think this guy supports the military, magas? Did you vote for a weak military and a strong secret police?

Due_Willingness1

So I can’t go into detail too much but I work for a sole source provider for US missile component manufacturing. Patriots, standard missile 3, Arrow missiles for Israel, etc. we have been STRESSED lately. Program managers scrambling, production and quality control folks being thrown curveballs at every corner. Engineers trying their best to maintain some semblance of control and info on their projects. It’s an absolute mess compared to before Ukraine and Israel kicked off. I don’t see it getting better and we are hemorrhaging knowledge and experienced folks left and right.

dmills2015

Every country contributing to the efforts have low stockpiles. This should have been addressed in 2022-3.  No forthought here, dudes! Caught with pants down!

Adept-Mulberry-8720

So... even the U.S. is losing the war in Ukraine now too!?

HSBillyMays

🤔I think it's more like Putin called trump and told him he wants some sanctions lifted and stop helping Ukraine with the weapons that were promised by the Americans......and guess what....he did it. Anything for his partner in Crimea.

Puzzled_Worth_4287

The idea of "depleted stockpiles" sure seems a pretty sensitive and vulnerable thing to broadcast to the world.

...Wait, was Pete Hegseth involved at any point in the release of this info?

MagicSPA

Yeah because they sent them all to Israel. 

Bastards.

Strontiumdogs1

This is exactly the factories and jobs garanteed that everyone wants. So instead of upping production they are cutting sales. What a shitshow.

Intrepid_Chard_3535

Trump diverted the last shipment en route to Ukraine to 'the middle east' instead

brezhnervouz

Had to spend them all on the country that is going on the offensive, not the one that is fighting to defend themselves.

RobutNotRobot

Looks like dead Ukrainians in “US best interests” now

elfd01

Hey America, get your head out of your ass and do the thing you've been eager to do for the last 70 fucking years, topple the USSR.

DeadandForgoten

Meanwhile, Israel: here you go, 6000 rockets and missiles

meenarstotzka

classic Elbridge Colby behavior. The same guy telling our euro allies to screw off out of the pacific and leave it us, while blowing up our relations with Japan by demanding they spend even more than they’ve already promised to. What a joke

RegalArt1

Trump enjoyed some A grade ass kissing from NATO leaders, felt good, made promises, then returned to the White House and his Moscow minders reset him back to alignment with Moscow. Nothing new.

Redditforgoit

Javina33

TON_THENOOB

Scifig23

Well, who will believe this shit lol.

We just need to help friend putin, we will stop what has already been promised and send it to the Middle East, we will stop new batches because we need to replenish stocks, and at the same time we will not sell all this to Europe.

Great, it seems we did not refuse outright, but at the same time did everything to make friend vlad happy.

re_BlueBird

This is absolutely BS.  Trump is helping his friend Putin, and it is disgusting.

zima72

lol, fake ass BS. It's another gift to Putin

UncleCarolsBuds

Not only, air defense missiles. Everything.

I dont think words exist to describe the americans

Swimming_Mark7407

I wouldn't take anything the trump administration says at face value.

charcoalist

My understanding was that the U.S. was only handing over stockpiles that were not critical to it (and it had plenty).


Stuff like stockpile that is fue to expire, or that is being replaced anyway...

CombatMuffin

It actually seems like the war is managed like this. Once Ukraine starts better protecting itself and pushing Russians back or causing high casualties against Russians. Dial back aid. This makes the war longer so more Russians die.

They don't want Ukraine to win. Just to keep killing Russians and destroying their assets costing them an extreme amount but stopping short of Ukraine pushing those Russians out because then there is less damage to Russia and their assets.

This way it keeps knocking Russia lower.

If Russia decided to just pull our of the war now less equipment from Russia gets destroyed and leas damage to the Russian military.

But if Ukraine is held back here and there then Russia keeps invading. So it's Russia get a bit ahead then Ukraine gets more supplies and knocks Russia back costing them lots of losses then Ukraine has reduced supplies and Russia starts gaining then rinse and repeat to keep the war machine burning. Just like an endless cycle.

Keeps giving Russia the idea and illusion that they can win and that it's not a stalemate so they keep invading. Seems like it anyway. We give Ukraine just enough to hold them back some. Here and there Ukraine has their own gains.

thebudman_420

Aid to Ukraine was done as soon as Trump took office.

BookLuvr7

Its insane how under Trump USA does everything it can without crossing an 'Official Ally' line to help Russia in their war efforts.

Harbournessrage

a1055x

Robertroo

"Depleted" aka they're about to sell it off to the highest bidder, just like in Russia.

Commentator-X

Zippy_STO

Oh don’t worry about those depleted supplies.  We’re about to mortgage my kid’s futures to be sure we can build more missiles.

petjuli

TronOld_Dumps

so whats knock-on effect of this reneg, not short-term but longterm?

pikkuhukka

I won’t forgive, I won’t forget. Americas leadership of the free world is over. A shit ally.

Depletion, yeah, of course. Absolutely no other reason at all.

jcrestor

But somehow, we have enough munitions to keep stockpiling our Middle East overlords in Isreal?

ConfusedGuy3260

That interviewer got full on baited by Trump

Oyshrrnunker

I’m willing to bet the number of anti air missiles we used to defend Israel’s skies after they bombed Iran is close to the total number of the same missiles we’ve sent to Ukraine so far

WillDill94

Aka.. we are in and out of the bed with Putin

Robespierre77

For those Israel haters out there: No, these are not the same weapons that the US provides to Israel. Israel has nothing to do with this. But apparently Trump's decision to pound Yemen does:

&gt;A person familiar with the halt of munitions said that the Pentagon had been dividing munitions into categories of criticality since February, over concerns that the DOD was using too many air defense munitions in Yemen.

TheTrollerOfTrolls

We sending them to the terror state of Israel buddy.

SuckMyBandAids

can't push back against russian imperialism because we have to keep supporting israeli imperialism, another "5D" chess move by impromptu Nazi 47

ariasingh

Ohh sorry we are helping a genocide and need those air defense missiles to defend that.

meatshieldjim

It seems a LOT of people here don’t understand we have to maintain a minimum of our own equipment and munitions.

We can’t give away everything, sorry.

Tokyosmash_

I just don't believe it, America was sending a lot of the older stuff to Ukraine to begin with.

Exciting_Exercise_89

Well the excuse for not giving Ukraine the last shipment was Israel needed them. To apparently start a war.

ggouge

It’s not like *you’re* going to use them.

Spudtron98

$900 billion in the defense budget every year and we're fucking running out of bombs?

Tomegunn1

Once again United States dumps an ally, at the cost of human lives.

We're only 1/8 of the way through Trump's incompetence.

xpda

They were probably diverted to Israel so they could go bomb Iran.

_CMDR_

Ukraine is old news, Israel owns America and gets whatever they want (more free missiles to bomb kids)

Flashy_Air833

What that mean is Putin is preparing something big

ptrang1987

"US hands over Ukraine to Putin."

Trump is a low-IQ, semi-literate imbecile, driven by vanity.  He knows nothing about the history of the region, has no understanding of the personalities involved.  He'll believe whatever sounds convincing.

Furthermore, Trump wants his Nobel prize for bringing peace to the region.

Putin is a highly skilled manipulative sociopath who helped get Trump elected because Putin knows how to pull Trump's emotional puppet strings.

F\*ck all these geriatric f\*cktards and their pathetic egos, that are running wild and f\*cking up a beautiful world.

Edit: [Trumpocchio](https://imgur.com/a/ptpRDp8)

SpiritAnimal_

Even garantueed shipments are frozen, i bet Vladimir Putin is proud of Trump… or even ordered to make some kind of trade deal …

Valentiaga_97

The US senate passed Trump’s stupid budget bill, so the legislative branch no longer has leverage against him. The US is pretty much fucked for the rest of his term, assuming this dictator wannabe doesn’t try to stay in power.

I’m so sorry about this, Ukrainians. I hope this war is over soon

donutfox

Ukraine announces there is a build up of $110,000 Russians on the Pokrovsk front, USA suspends munitions shipments.  Russia launches largest cruise missile and drone attack of the war into civilians, and USA drops sanctions on Russian nuclear energy company.  What a fucking joke.

wailingsixnames

US President Donald Trump has expressed support for providing Patriot missile systems to Ukraine amid increasing Russian missile attacks. In discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they emphasized the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine's air defenses. The two leaders agreed to collaborate on enhancing protection from aerial threats and explore opportunities for joint arms production.

US Support for Ukraine's Air Defense

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