The difficult task of the NATO countries is to find as many weapons as possible for Ukraine in a few weeks, writes ‘s NATO special reporter Maria Stenroos.
Maria Stenroos NATO special reporter
19:15•Updated 19:37
BRUSSELS. The moment is now, said the British Defense Minister David Lammy.
Lammy spoke at the NATO foreign ministers’ meeting in Brussels about the moment when NATO countries really need to support Ukraine. So give weapons. According to the British, now is also the time to put money into your own defense and prepare for the future.
The British are on a strict line regarding Ukraine and defense. According to NATO diplomatic sources, other advocates of supporting Ukraine and strengthening European defense are the Nordic countries, the Baltic countries, Poland, France, partly the Netherlands and Italy.
In other European countries, the line is not as clear and/or the conflict in Ukraine seems more distant.
However, there is consensus that the conditions for the peace that will someday come to Ukraine are important for Europe. If Russia feels that it has won, the use of military force will begin to seem acceptable and it may continue its aggression elsewhere. So to Europe.
The US president will change in a few weeks. Donald Trump’s the policy in supporting Ukraine is still unknown. It is believed that he wants a quick peace in Ukraine on terms that may be unfavorable for Ukraine and Europe.
The current US Secretary of State by Anthony Blinken the message at the meeting was that now we have to prepare for the future.
At the same time, Ukraine is fighting an all-consuming battle at the front with weapons donated by Europe and the United States.
Ukraine more cramped than ever before
Ukraine is in tighter shape than ever before during the war. According to a NATO intelligence officer who spoke to the media, while Russia previously advanced ten meters, it is now moving ten kilometers. The fast progress is due to the easy terrain and superiority.
Russia pays dearly for its progress, according to NATO, it loses 1,500 soldiers a day. Ukraine has also lost a lot of soldiers, but the figures are not disclosed. However, according to NATO, the losses are smaller than in Russia.
The difference between the parties to the war is that Russia does not care about its losses, but feeds new men to the front. According to NATO, Ukraine constantly has the problem of getting enough soldiers in order to rotate the frontline forces, i.e. get new people to replace those who have been fighting for a long time.
However, Europe has not promised troops. Yet again, at least in France and Britain, the idea is bubbling that in some situation you have to be ready to send soldiers. According to a diplomatic source, there are actually already European soldiers in Ukraine. According to media sources, these are special forces trainers.
Russia, on the other hand, has received help from North Korea. NATO sources do not confirm the information that North Koreans have already been in the battles. However, in NATO’s opinion, the participation of North Korea makes the conflict different from before. It expands.
The military alliance is trying to avoid getting into a situation where the United States negotiates Ukraine’s peace with Russia without consulting Europe.
On the other hand, a NATO intelligence source estimates that the Russian president Vladimir Putin doesn’t even want to negotiate right now because Russia is so strong in the war.
In its public statements, NATO does not want to speculate on possible peace negotiations, but now focuses on the fact that Ukraine has weapons with which to fight.
In recent days, many countries have promised more weapons, Finland is also preparing its 26th package.
According to various sources, the atmosphere at the NATO meeting table was expectant, preparatory and even heated. The coming weeks will show to what extent the will of the NATO countries in helping Ukraine is sufficient.
Corrected on December 4, 2024 at 7:37 p.m.: Corrected the part of the main text where it is said that the countries are considering sending soldiers to Ukraine in some situation. Previously, the text stated that the idea would be presented in France and the United States.