Europe’s Military Limits Show Why It’s Desperate for US Help

European leaders, eyeing crucial gaps in their countries’ defense capabilities, are still holding out hope that Donald Trump will make good on his offer to give Ukraine concrete security guarantees, even as a negotiated peace looks increasingly improbable.

Europe has critical shortfalls in space-based intelligence and surveillance, and integrated air and missile defense — the primary areas that the UK- and French-led coalition of the willing hopes US assistance will cover. It would cost Europe $1 trillion to replace conventional US military capabilities assigned to the region, according to an International Institute for Strategic Studies report published this week.