U.S. support for Ukraine goes beyond simply weapons — military expert

He shared his opinions with Espreso TV.

"To hold out for a while without U.S. aid — I think, maybe. But in the long run  — honestly, I can't imagine it. Because look, they’re supplying us with more than just hardware, we’re used to getting shells, equipment, spare parts. But I always pay attention. Look, every time an air raid siren sounds, what do people do? They check Telegram monitoring channels, or former Twitter, to see what's coming. 'What’s flying toward me?' 'Oh, special forces are up — doesn’t affect my region, not my problem.' Or: 'Cruise missiles? How long have we got?' Or it’s ballistics and people wait again. But this intel doesn’t just appear on those channels. It comes from somewhere," Stupak noted.

He stressed that intelligence work from various countries, including the U.S., plays a crucial role. Without it, things would get significantly tougher.

"This is massive work — not just for our intelligence but for Western agencies, European allies, and the U.S. We’re talking satellite surveillance, reconnaissance flights, intercepted communications, radio signals — everything. And this intelligence is a key part of our defense against massive Russian drone and missile attacks. Imagine if it were gone. Ukraine wouldn’t collapse overnight, but Russian pressure would ramp up fast. And without U.S. aid, we’d feel it badly," Stupak warned. 

• Earlier, Donald Trump suggested continuing U.S. aid to Ukraine in exchange for $500 billion worth of its rare earth resources.
• The former U.S. president also questioned the $350 billion allocated to Kyiv.
• On February 19, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to Trump’s comments, noting that the war has cost $320 billion — $200 billion of which came from U.S. and EU support.