Western militaries are undermining Ukraine’s defence, experts say

What the report says

A new report cited by Al Jazeera says Ukraine’s effort to expand joint weapons production with Western partners is being slowed by a mix of Kyiv’s permit and regulatory delays and what experts describe as slow, traditional thinking in European militaries. The article says the Centre for Statecraft and National Security at King’s College London found at least 180 Ukraine-foreign defence partnerships, but that 22% are stalled, leaving fewer weapons reaching the front and weakening wider preparations for modern warfare.

Among the examples reported is a planned artillery shell plant announced by Rheinmetall that has yet to break ground, in part because of delayed Ukrainian approvals and a later site change. The piece also highlights problems around intellectual property, export rules and the pace of battlefield adaptation, noting that Ukrainian drone makers can update systems far faster than typical Western procurement cycles allow.

According to the experts interviewed, Ukraine’s battlefield experience has pushed it toward decentralised command, heavy drone use and rapid innovation. That approach, the article says, has sometimes met skepticism in Europe, where some officers and companies still think in terms of classic land warfare and established partners. The broader issue matters because Ukraine still depends heavily on outside funding and industrial support, while European states are also being pressed to rethink how they would fight a future conflict.