interviewed Ukrainian journalist Illia Ponomarenko, who is visiting Finland.
The discussion about sending foreign troops to Ukraine, which has started in many European countries, has been taken into account in Ukraine.
This is what Ukraine’s perhaps most internationally known war correspondent says Illia Ponomarenkowho is visiting Finland.
– Of course we follow the discussion, but the deployment of foreign troops in Ukraine does not seem very realistic, says Ponomarenko.
Ponomarenko has reported in English about the war and the Ukrainian Defense Forces in the online newspaper Kyiv Independent. In the messaging service X, he has another million followers, among whom are many foreign decision-makers.
According to Ponomarenko, foreign troops would have been remarkably useful in Ukraine in various support tasks. It would have released Ukrainian soldiers to the fronts.
– Foreign forces would not need to participate in the battles. They could, for example, guard the border of Belarus.
For example, in logistics, maintenance and training, additional troops would have been a great help. These activities tie up enormous resources.
Ponomarenko still does not believe that troops would be sent. The risks are too great for the countries that would send them.
A better and more realistic option would be to open the European military industry to Ukraine.
Protracted war is all about the arms race. The one whose resources run out first is in trouble.
Ponomarenko emphasizes that there is a big risk for Ukraine to be too dependent on the arms aid of allies. That’s why the Ukrainian arms industry should get involved in producing weapons in Europe.
– We have a safer alternative for our allies. Increase arms aid and open war industry. This would give Ukraine the opportunity to finish the war without foreign troops.
Ponomarenko does not see that Russia has the conditions to make a major breakthrough in Donbass or Kharkiv. Russia began an active offensive in these areas weeks ago.
– Russia is trying to take advantage of the situation in which Ukraine has weakened. It will still be weeks before the arms aid has fully reached the front lines.
According to Ponomarenko, the situation is under control, but brutal. Many Ukrainian soldiers are killed and wounded in the fierce battles. One reason is the lack of ammunition.
For the defense of Ukraine, it has been difficult for US arms aid to get stuck in Congress.
That is why a more permanent international solution to arms and ammunition production is crucial for Ukraine.
A book about the difficult first weeks of the war was recently published by Ponomarenko. It tells how the Ukrainians managed to fend off a major Russian attack on Kiev.
met Ponomarenko on Monday after a meeting organized at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland.