US provides military equipment to Danish Nato alliance deemed as protection payments instead of traditional purchases
In a remarkable show of solidarity, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway have joined forces in a new scheme to support Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression. This initiative involves the Nordic NATO members purchasing military equipment from the United States and donating it to Ukraine.
According to Peter Viggo Jakobsen, a Danish military expert, this scheme is about managing the risk of Russian attacks and supporting Ukraine's defense efforts. However, he described it as 'protection money' paid to the USA, a characterisation that has been contested. It is not accurate to call European countries donating military equipment, including that originally from the United States, to Ukraine "protection money."
European military aid to Ukraine largely consists of direct purchases, military aid packages, and industrial defense contracts, aimed at supporting Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression rather than payments for protection. The collaboration is framed within a broader context of geopolitical support, including sanctions against Russia, EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, and energy supply diversification.
The scheme, which allows European countries to send American weapons from their own stockpiles to Ukraine, with the donated weapons and systems being replaced quickly by the US, has been welcomed by many. The US has committed to providing fast delivery of weapons to Nato countries participating in the scheme.
Among the purchases for Ukraine will be the advanced Patriot missile system. This cooperation is expected to give Scandinavian countries more weight in European defence and security policy, according to Jakobsen.
It is worth noting that Europe has become the leading spender on weapons production for Ukraine, allocating over €35.1 billion (about $41 billion) in military aid via defense procurement by June 2025, which surpasses the U.S. commitment in the same period. Much of the European military aid is organised through defense industry contracts with European and Ukrainian firms, indicating a strategic investment in military production capacity rather than transactional "protection" payments.
Ukrainian air defenses are under strain due to Russian attacks that began with Moscow's full-scale invasion in 2022. The article five clause in the NATO treaty states that an attack on one NATO member is considered an attack on all. The Scandinavian countries joining forces in the donation reflects their strengthening cooperation and speaking with one voice, as noted by Jakobsen.
This scheme is part of a larger context where Western countries have donated weapons and supplies to Ukraine since the invasion. According to Jakobsen, the scheme will not make a difference in terms of Ukraine winning the war, but will help them continue to support their efforts and make it difficult for Russia to seize more territory.
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- The news about the Nordic NATO members' purchase of military equipment from the United States to aid Ukraine, includes the advance Patriot missile system, is a part of a broader context of Western countries' support for Ukraine's defense against Russian aggression, which is also reflected in geopolitical policies such as sanctions against Russia, EU accession negotiations with Ukraine, and energy supply diversification.
- Despite Peter Viggo Jakobsen's characterization of the European military aid to Ukraine as 'protection money' paid to the USA, it is more accurate to consider this aid as consisting of direct purchases, military aid packages, and industrial defense contracts, aimed at supporting Ukraine's defense rather than payments for protection.
- The collaboration between Denmark, Sweden, and Norway in donating military equipment to Ukraine, within the context of geopolitical support, aligns with the general news of strengthening European cooperation against war-and-conflicts, specifically in light of the Russian aggression and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
