How to force Putin to change his mind and accept the impossibility of pursuing an aggressive imperial policy after a year of bloody war? Answering this question, the former director of the US Central Intelligence Agency, retired General David Petraeus, points out that cutting the “land bridge” in the Kherson region following the Ukrainian counteroffensive is certainly necessary, but that will not be enough.
David Petraeus has extensive military experience, having served as Commander of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and United States Forces in Afghanistan (USFOR-A) in 2010-2011, as well as Commander of Multi-National Force-Iraq in 2007 – 2008, he is convinced of the military need to “liquidate the remaining part of the Crimean bridge”. “If you look at the map and compare it to the range of medium-range precision-guided munitions that have already been supplied to Ukraine (which is 150 kilometers), the general argues, you will see that this does not put not yet in danger all enemy bases, headquarters and airfields in the Crimea. As soon as they are all attacked, and the land “bridge” is cut, as well as the bridge over the strait, it will be necessary to block the approaches to the ferries and ships that traditionally supported the peninsula before the construction of the bridge. In this case, the return of the Crimea would have been successful and as bloodless as possible, without heavy and destructive assault operations. In other words, the peninsula “should to be completely isolated” – just like Putin’s regime itself.
“There is no doubt about the need to equip Ukraine with Western aircraft,” said the former CIA director. “As in the supply of long-range precision-guided munitions.” David Petraeus points out that the difficulty lies not so much in political decision-making, but in solving the problems “with the maintenance of the systems, the supply of spare parts and ammunition, the fuel. This is exactly what a special headquarters stationed in Germany does. The operation is often more difficult than even the supply chain, all of which are key to ensuring that by May or early June Ukraine is ready for a counter-offensive that will sever the land bridge to Crimea. .
Clarifying his position on aircraft, Petraeus stresses that the transition to Western aircraft is technologically inevitable in a relatively short-term historical perspective: “There is not much left of Eastern bloc aircraft, MiG-29 fighters and consorts. They are practically not available anywhere, because the easternmost Soviet bloc has long since disappeared. Airplanes and their spare parts are also running out in Ukraine. The so-called “cannibalization” [разбор списанных самолётов на запчасти для ещё действующих] is only a very temporary solution. Today Kiev literally has more pilots than planes. The same can be said of aircraft mechanics.
“We need to move more aggressively to give Ukraine the military assistance it needs,” said retired General Wesley Clark, Commander-in-Chief of US and NATO Allied Forces in Europe from 1997 to 2000, with military experience in the Balkans, where he commanded the Allied operation in Kosovo.
“Instead of waiting and reacting retroactively to every Russian step: ‘Look, they’re mobilizing infantry! Urgently send us anti-personnel means!” “We must be one step ahead,” says General Clark. – We must determine for ourselves how we want to see the battle, so that we need its outcome , so that we can end the war with successful negotiations from an advantageous position. This means for us the need for leadership and to move forward in the intellectual process.
The army is concerned about the too wide variety of weapons supplied to Ukraine. It is believed that 12 major Western weapons platforms are currently in use by Kiev, using four different classes of ammunition. There are both objective and subjective reasons for this, “linked to political aspirations, to national strategic politics,” says Wesley Clark. – France, of course, does not want the United States to have a right of veto over the combat use of Dassault Rafale fighters. The EU does not want to lose high-tech investment opportunities in the Eurofighter Typhoon, although this machine is the fourth, not the fifth generation … We must not be dragged into these disputes again and again,” warn the general.
Retired Australian Army Major General Mick Ryan, an expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adds: “Victory in this war will rest not only on Western support, but also on blood and blood. the sacrifices of the Ukrainian people. So we have a very strong human imperative. It is very important to provide maximum assistance as soon as possible.
“The West must remain united and firm in its support for Ukraine,” agrees his Australian counterpart, retired General Rick Hillier, Chief of Staff of the Canadian Defense Forces (CDS) in 2005-2008 and Canadian Army Chief of Staff in 2003. -2008. Hillier admits, “Sometimes I worry about the unity and strength of the Western Front when I hear the disputes between warring factions that now occur daily in Congress, and not just within it.”
This is probably why General Wesley Clark considers it extremely important “to speak effectively with the public in your own country to help people understand what is at stake today: why supporting Ukraine is a vital Western interest. After all, this is far from just another election campaign. It’s a bit like the build-up of tension before World War II, except now China and Russia have nuclear weapons. It is impossible to choose between facing Russia or China: the United States and the West will face both Russia and China. The two powers disagree on how -war world will work. The two countries want to divide it again and return to the earlier era of 19th century power politics. After World War II, after the Cold War, we were able to create a global system that encouraged the peaceful settlement of disputes based on international law and the Charter of the United Nations. This whole order is today opposed by Russia and China,” Clark said.
NATO unity, which Rick Hillier describes as “unprecedented”, will be necessary to, in the words of General Clark, “accept to take risks and to cross the red line drawn by Putin”. Wesley Clark agrees with David Petraeus’ thesis: “The decisive territory is Crimea. Ukraine must not only cut Crimea by land, but also destroy the bridge; enter Crimea, then deal closely with the Russian Black Sea Fleet. Then Putin will understand that it is all over, and then we will give him the opportunity to leave peacefully.
However, Clark immediately adds: “We must prepare for the indictment of Mr. deliveries of thirty-one American tanks in nine months”, formulates and scathingly summarizes the general: “We are at a turning point in world history .
