Europe not ready to fight Russia’s new kind of war’

As the US pulls its military aid, Kherson’s governor warns Bel Trew that Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has ushered in an era of weaponised robots that the West is not prepared for

- Bel Trew

Europe’s armies are not equipped to handle a new war of drones, machines, and robots”, a senior Ukrainian official has said, warning that Russia has skyrocketed to space” with advancements in military technology and ammunition production.

The stark warning came as Donald Trump paused all military aid to Ukraine following a fiery public altercation with the country’s president Volodymyr Zelensky in Washington. The US president said he wants Mr Zelensky to show greater “commitment” to a peace deal.

His dramatic intervention threw Sir Keir Starmer’s diplomatic efforts into chaos after the prime minister gathered 18 mostly European leaders at a London summit on Sunday to shore up their borders and back Ukraine.

Oleksandr Prokudin, governor of Ukraine’s frontline region of Kherson Oblast, said: “We truly appreciate and are very grateful to our American partners for the support Ukraine receives in its fight against Russia.

“If it does stop, I think it will get much harder for us. Still, we have no choice but to keep fighting for our country and independence no matter how many countries support us. I believe that the American people will continue to help Ukraine. We share the same values: freedom and democracy. We are fighting for these values.”