Europe must break free from US defence reliance as UK pumps £500m into Ukraine, warns defence chief

Writing exclusively for LBC Opinion, Jonas Malmgren, CEO of Swedish defence-focused investor Front Ventures and a former technical officer in the Swedish Armed Forces, said Europe can no longer assume the United States will guarantee its security.

His intervention comes as the UK announced more than £500 million in new defence support for Ukraine, underlining the scale of the challenge facing Europe as Russia’s war grinds on.

The Ministry of Defence confirmed that Britain will provide a fresh package of air defence systems and missiles, including £150 million for Nato’s prioritised Ukraine requirements list, known as Purl, aimed at rapidly delivering critical air defence missiles to Kyiv.

A further 1,000 lightweight multirole missiles, manufactured in Belfast, will be supplied under a £390 million deal.

Read more: Trump’s shattering of the global defence consensus proves Europe MUST be united and independent

Read more: Hospitals, military sites and prison to receive £74 million for clean energy

Defence Secretary John Healey announced the package in Brussels, where he is co-hosting meetings of the 50-nation Ukraine Defence Contact Group alongside German defence minister Boris Pistorius. Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte are also in attendance.

“As we approach the fifth year of Putin’s full-scale invasion, the UK and our allies are more committed than ever to supporting Ukraine,” Mr Healey said, describing recent Russian drone and missile attacks on civilians as “brutal” and “cynical”.

Against that backdrop, Malmgren warned that Europe is entering what a new Munich Security Conference report has described as an era of “wrecking ball politics”, with established alliances and norms being broken apart.

“The US’ withdrawal from, and in some cases antagonism towards, European defence should act as the perfect wake-up call,” he wrote. “Europe must become stronger and more independent on the world stage, and more united within.”

He argued that the erosion of the traditional Western security order is taking place at a moment of heightened external threat, with Russia gaining strategic initiative in Ukraine and China seeking regional dominance while global trade faces disruption.

Malmgren pointed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s defence road map as a step towards greater self-reliance, alongside the EU’s S.A.F.E. rearmament scheme, which would see the bloc borrow £78bn for ammunition, artillery and attack drones.

However, he warned that Europe remains hampered by bureaucracy and over-reliance on Chinese supply chains, and is still trying to fill a gap left by years of dependence on US military leadership.

Crucially, he said that unity must include the UK, urging Brussels to lower barriers for Britain to join the S.A.F.E. scheme. Some EU states, particularly France, have suggested the UK should pay a significant fee to participate.

Keeping the cost of UK involvement “artificially high”, he argued, risks slowing Europe’s rearmament at a time when speed is critical.

“Europe cannot build credible defence capabilities at the necessary speed without involvement from the UK,” Malmgren wrote, citing Britain’s defence capital, technical talent and procurement expertise.

His comments also come as transatlantic tensions linger from last year’s Munich conference, where US Vice-President JD Vance accused Europe of “civilisational erasure”. This year, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to represent Washington.

Rather than accept a narrative of decline, Malmgren said Europe should respond with cohesion and resolve.