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Defense One: Top US Commander Cavoli advocates for increased Western aid to Ukraine

At the Aspen Security Forum, Gen. Chris Cavoli noted a significant shift in Europe’s defense spending, with many nations now recognizing the need to exceed the two percent GDP benchmark.

byOlena Mukhina

20/07/2024

2 minute read

The image shows President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the meeting with Commander of the U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe General Christopher Cavoli, Commander of the U.S. Army Europe and Africa General Darryl Williams, and Commander of the Security Assistance Group – Ukraine Lieutenant General Antonio Aguto in Wiesbaden, Germany, on 14 December, 2023. Credit: president.gov.ua

Defense One: Top US Commander Cavoli advocates for increased Western aid to Ukraine

The top US commander, Gen. Chris Cavoli, said at the Aspen Security Forum that European countries, the US, and its allies must continue to supply Ukraine with arms and other assistance and work to increase their contributions, according to Defense One.

Cavoli, who leads US European Command, is NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.

“The outcome on the ground in Ukraine is terribly, terribly important—vital to future European and global security,” he said, adding that Ukrainian success on the battlefield depends on its partners, and that’s going to require to generate and produce more equipment than the West was contemplating two years ago.

Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum, Jens Plötner, the foreign and security policy advisor to the German chancellor, said that despite softening assistance for Ukraine in the EU, the bloc’s government was working to secure Ukraine funding by appropriating Russian frozen assets stored across Europe. However, more efforts are needed to aid the war-torn country in fighting off Russian aggression.

Additionally, Cavoli said Europe is finally getting serious about defense and should receive more investment and engagement.

Earlier, US presidential candidate Donald Trump claimed he would encourage Russia to do “whatever the hell they want” to any NATO member who doesn’t spend at least two percent of GDP on national defense.

At the forum, Cavoli said that the discussion within the Alliance on two percent contribution had changed dramatically from just a few years ago.

“Many nations are concluding that two percent is not enough, that they’re going to have to go higher than that,” he stated.

Cavoli also said Europe’s growing commitment to its own defense goes beyond budgets.

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