Dangerous time to stop Ukrainian aid while the Russian war machine is launched

• The Russian war machine has accelerated in a way that could threaten countries beyond Ukraine.
• A former American general said that the judgment now “will give Mr. Putin a stay”.
• Russia could take advantage of its active defense industry for a stronger position for future fighting in Europe.

Russia hurts After years of fighting in Ukraine, but his war machine has dangerously increased. Supporting the pressure from his army could raise Moscow to choose new fights in Europe, current and former ministers and retired military officers told Business Insider.

Publications such as CNN, New York Times and Bloomberg reported that CNN on Monday reported that President Donald Trump had ordered a break at all of Ukraine military aid, citing anonymous officials. Times reported that it would affect more than a billion dollars in weapons and ammunition.

At the same time, Europe is concerned about the possible Russian aggression beyond Ukraine.

“My conviction is that if we remove our feet from the gas pedal now, this will give a stay of Mr. Putin,” said the Lieutenant-de-Général de la Retirement last month, a former European army commander in the United States, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“He can lick his injuries, rebuild his strengths, see it as a victory and redo it as soon as he generates a newly mobilized and newly equipped force,” said Hertling. “This is what scares me.”

Russia’s defense industry quickly reduces the country’s soldiers and launches bombs and drones which he found useful in his ruthless offensives against Ukraine – weapons that could be turned against others in Europe if Ukraine folds up.

Russian war machine

The military of Russia suffered a lot in Ukraine, not taking the whole country quickly and are rather stuck in a brutal and brutal struggle in the East Ukraine. Russia has lost hundreds of thousands of soldiers and has hemorrhage weapons.

But the defense expenses and the production of Russia have skyrocketed.

In 2025, Russia plans to spend 6.3% of its GDP for national defense. A report from the International Institute of Strategic Studies last month revealed that Russia’s defense expenses in 2024, in terms of purchasing power parity, exceeded Europe.

Russia does not produce clear or reliable data on its military production, but a study of 2024 revealed that Russia had considerably increased its production of key weapons, including the types of aircraft it found most useful in Ukraine.

A large part of the newly produced weapons of Russia have been channeled in Ukraine, although Russia has maintained some of its most safe equipment, potentially for a future conflict.

The fear is that without Ukraine, the stocks and soldiers of Russia develop quickly and will be ready to use.

Many European countries have long known Ukraine’s fight as a fight that protects the rest of Europe. In 2023, the Minister of Lithuania, then primary, Ingrida Šimonytė, described Ukrainian BI soldiers as people who died for European security. She pleaded for the allies of Ukraine to give her more weapons.

Ukraine is the second largest country in Europe in terms of land mass. His loss or submission could allow the Russian forces hardened by the battle to extend the country’s confrontation with the West.

Ukraine, however, may not be able to continue its fight if it loses critical aid at this pivotal moment.

Trump also put pressure for a negotiated ceasefire and does not seem to seek one that would prevent Russia from continuing assault via security guarantees.

Trump’s Ukrainian envoy said Europe would not have a table at the table for ceasefire talks, and Trump has long criticized help from Ukraine. He was also deeply critical of the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

This means that the type of ceasefire that Europe wants, which includes continuous support for Ukraine and economic pressure on Russia, may not occur.

France and the United Kingdom offer their own truce between Russia and Ukraine, but it is not clear how successful this proposal.

Troels Lund Poulsen, the Minister of Defense of Denmark, one of the closest partners of Ukraine, told BI that support for Ukraine should not stop even if there was a cease-fire.

Even if there is a ceasefire, “we still have to help our friends in Ukraine,” he said, adding: “It’s not time to slow down.”

Gabrielius Landsbergis, which until the end of last year was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, member of NATO who borders Russia, told BI than “there is no other means” than to continue to support Ukraine.

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He said that Russia “rebuilt, and if we allow them, they will not become strong”.

The fears of Europe

It is to be feared in Europe that Russia will attack elsewhere on the continent. This is one of the reasons why many nations invest massively in new weapons and capacities.

But we must do more, say European leaders, to rebuild their industrial defense capacity. The continent has huge problems to make sufficient amounts of weapons, with huge arrears even when the countries are ready to spend.

This makes Europe more vulnerable, especially if the United States cannot be invoked as an ally.

Europe’s efforts to strengthen against Russia’s potential assault could also be paralyzed by Ukraine military requests, which it may have to bear without the United States.

Hamish de Bretton-Gordon, defense expert and former commander of the chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear forces of the United Kingdom, told Bi that his concern concerning a cease-fire without conditions is that “the Russian war machine is turned right now”.

This break would allow Russia to continue to do more tanks and planes, and to take measures to improve its soldiers, such as training, which it did not do during the fight against Ukraine, he said.

Hirtling, the retired American general, described Western aid to Ukraine as “a continuous pressure campaign to show Putin that he failed to do so”.

To abandon this campaign without ensuring security risks giving Putin a stay to rebuild her strengths and restore himself.

Hertling has described Russia as having multiple “different frozen conflicts in Europe”, notably Transnistria, a province of defeated escaped in Moscow in Moldova which borders the southwest of Ukraine. Putin could return to these places if her soldiers were released.

Helping Ukraine allows the West to minimize the threat of Russia, Kyiv has argued several times. Many in Europe agree.

Hertling said last month in Bi which he really believed “that Russia was in very poor condition, not only of their soldiers, but also of their economy”.

He said that “it’s by far the worst time to eliminate the support of Ukrainians”.