Janice R. Andrews
A retired U.S. general and top NATO leader said that Ukraine will lose if the U.S. doesn’t really step up its military backing against Russia. Philip Breedlove, who was in charge of NATO operations in Europe from 2013 to 2016, says that Ukraine could lose the war if the US doesn’t change how it tells missiles what to do.
An ex-four-star U.S. Air Force leader said, “This war will end exactly how Western policymakers decide it will end.” His words support the idea that the West’s policy choices will have a big effect on how the war ends.
The message comes at a time when there is more military action in Ukraine and more discussion about the country’s part in the conflict. Breedlove said, “Ukraine will lose in the end if we keep doing what we’re doing.” “It’s because we’re not giving Ukraine what they need to win right now.”
Limits on Long-Range Missiles in the United States
At the moment, the U.S. limits the long-range ballistic weapons it sends to Ukraine so that they can’t be used against Russian military targets. The Biden administration says that this way of giving advanced weapons to Ukraine is necessary to keep Russian President Vladimir Putin from responding with violence.
Democratic officials say that carefully planning and choosing the weapons that are given is necessary to keep emotions from rising. Some experts agree and say that Putin might see an attack by the U.S. using long-range ballistic weapons against Ukraine as an attack by the U.S.
A lot of Republicans in Congress, security experts, and officials agree with Breedlove that these rules should be eased. As Ukraine’s attack moves forward and Russia reacts with a heavy barrage of drones and missiles, the U.S. government is under more and more pressure to change its cautious stance on sending Western weapons into the conflict.
The offensive on the ground in Kursk by Ukraine
In the past few weeks, Ukraine has taken a risky ground strike into Russia’s southern Kursk area. This is the first time since World War II that such an attack has been made. This action, along with Russia’s aggressive use of weapons and drones, has made more people want the U.S. to change how it helps other countries with their defense needs.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has been very careful not to upset the U.S. by thanking them for their help but also complaining about the need for more weapons and ammo. He has been making stronger arguments lately that Ukraine should be able to use any tool it has to fight the war.
For the second time, Zelensky has asked the U.S. to remove limits on long-range ATACMS missiles. This would allow Ukraine to attack deeper into Russian territory. Putin is a sick old man from Red Square who constantly threatens everyone with the red button. Zelensky recently said of Putin, “A sick old man from the Red Square who constantly threatens everyone with the red button will not dictate any of his red lines to us.” This shows how serious the conflict is and how much is at stake.
Calls for more military aid and changes in strategy
The head of the EU’s foreign policy office, Josep Borrell, wants to lift limits on long-range weapons, saying that it would make Ukraine safer and lessen the damage. He wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) Monday that lifting these restrictions “would strengthen Ukrainian self-defense, save lives, and reduce destruction in Ukraine.” This came after Russia fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine. They fired off 91 more the next day.
The United States is sending Ukraine military help worth billions of dollars again, and President Zelensky has reacted by making more people join the military. Bill Taylor, who used to be the U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, says that American military leaders are going over the strategic plan that they and their partners made for the next phase of the war.
Taylor, who was president from 2006 to 2009, says that Ukraine will spend the rest of the year rebuilding its land troops and making it easier for them to do a lot of damage to Russian positions. Putting Russia in a position where they have to negotiate a peace deal that is good for Ukraine next year is the goal, he says.
Attacks on Russian targets with long-range missiles are a key part of this plan. “The Ukrainians shouldn’t have to give the Russians a safe haven,” he said, stressing how important it was for Ukraine to keep its forces strong and ready to fight.
More and more people want the United States to help Ukraine as the war drags on. It’s still not clear if the Biden government will listen to military leaders like Breedlove and officials like Borrell. What is clear, though, is that Washington and other Western cities will have a big impact on Ukraine’s future. Breedlove says that the result of this war will depend on how much the West is willing to back Ukraine in its fight for independence and integrity of its territory.
