WARSAW — Ukraine is finalizing preparations for an expected spring counteroffensive, and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said his country will fight whether or not it gets Western warplanes.
Ukraine’s success on the battlefield largely depends on Western military supplies.
Without modern airpower from NATO allies in Kiev, the counteroffensive risks costly attrition battles, military experts say.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was one of many Western leaders to meet with Ukrainian military leaders and commanders in recent days. He pointed out that, within the framework of the contact group led by the United States, NATO allies and partners have provided more than 98% of the military equipment promised to Ukraine, including 1,550 armored vehicles, 230 tanks and a huge amount of ammunition.
However, Ukraine says it needs more.
The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, General Valery Zaluzhny, recently held a working meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of the NATO Armed Forces in Europe, US Army General Christopher Cavoli.
American media sources said the generals discussed Ukraine’s military capabilities and agreed on the need for a thorough assessment of Ukraine’s readiness for a counter-offensive.
After the meeting, Zaluzhny wrote on Facebook: “We separately focused on the importance of timely deliveries of sufficient ammunition and equipment. I stressed the need to provide Ukraine with a wide range of weapons and air defense systems, which will significantly help to resolve the problematic moments in the fight against Russian aggression.
American media sources within the Ukrainian military command confirmed that Kiev had largely depleted stocks of obsolete Soviet military equipment and ammunition.
In recent months, the Ukrainian army has fought on the eastern and southern fronts in hopes of exhausting Russian forces without ceding territory.
According to US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, Ukraine is succeeding.
“Russia has significantly depleted its military reserves and its military forces,” Kirby told reporters on Monday. “Since December alone, according to our estimates, Russia’s losses have amounted to more than 100,000 people, including more than 20,000 killed, almost half of them soldiers of the Wagner Group.”
At the same time, Ukraine is turning to Western weapons systems, which makes the country even more dependent on Western military support.
In preparation for the spring counteroffensive, one of Ukraine’s biggest unmet needs is for fighter jets, said Gustav Gressel, senior fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
In a recent article, Gressel wrote that “extensive fortifications in Russia’s rear could slow the advance of Ukrainian troops long enough to allow Russian airstrikes to hit the forces clearing obstacles.”
“In order to protect the ground forces from such attacks, the Ukrainian Air Force should intervene, at least to disrupt the Russian attacks,” he added.
Speaking of Ukraine’s fighter jet needs, Gressel wrote that “the United States should learn from last year’s delay in tank delivery and approve their transfer as soon as possible.”
“The end of the war depends on Ukraine,” NATO Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy Baiba Brazhe told American media. – The most important thing is to ensure that Ukraine receives support in as many areas as possible. If she wants to keep fighting, she has the ability to keep fighting.
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