Published: Less than 2 hours ago
Sweden has decided to provide additional military equipment to Ukraine. But it may be difficult for the West to continue to meet their needs if the war gets long.
Anti-tank weapons and machine guns are examples of weapons that will be delivered to Ukraine, Minister of Defense Peter Hultqvist (S) announced on Thursday. According to him, this is what the country has demanded.
– That’s probably how it is. As I understand it, there is a group in Ukraine that creates lists of what they demand and which the western countries then try to coordinate, says Ilmari Käihkö, associate professor and senior lecturer in military science at the Swedish National Defense College.
At the beginning of the war, military support from the West was less coordinated and more in line with the “we give what we have” principle. A major focus was on high-tech equipment and advanced weapon systems, according to Ilmari Käihkö.
“Becoming a detour”
As a result, Ukrainian troops were given weapons that they were not used to handling and that were not always compatible with their own systems.
– I myself was asked by Ukrainian soldiers if I could help them with a manual for a weapon they were not familiar with. I got in touch with someone who served in the French Foreign Legion who could explain, but it will be a detour, says Ilmari Käihkö.
He emphasizes the importance of thinking of the whole when providing military material support. There must be manuals and tools to maintain the weapons. Maintenance often requires a long education.
– Another example is that the Ukrainian military uses a different coordinate system, than the West and weapons from us must be integrated before they can be used. But the West and also Sweden have become better at providing better targeted support.
Depending on the west
But despite the fact that it is not advanced and high-tech weapon systems that are at the top of the Ukrainian wish list, Ilmari Käihkö believes that it will be difficult for the West to have resources. According to him, Russia has a lot of artillery and ammunition from the Cold War that can last a long time.
– One of Zelenskyj’s advisers has written on Twitter that Ukraine has received 10 percent of the war material they need. At the same time, they are completely dependent on the West’s support to continue what is likely to be a war that will last for months and perhaps years to come. It will be difficult to meet the great demand for not least ammunition and at the same time without us becoming completely defenseless.
That Sweden provides additional military support now has symbolic value with the forthcoming NATO membership.
– NATO has just declared further support for Ukraine and there was mentioned demining equipment, which is part of what Sweden now provides. It shows externally that we support the common NATO line, says Käihkö.