According to the publication’s source, Europe is actively trying to increase weapons production to help Ukraine and contain Russia for at least a year, regardless of US support. Some members of the British government are convinced that Ukraine’s victory over Russia will take time and Europe should be ready to help Kyiv with weapons if Donald Trump wins the presidential election and loses US support.
Stretching the army and forcing Putin to surrender
The publication’s interlocutor noted that Vladimir Putin is betting on Trump, “however, Europe is turning the gears to do this without the United States if Trump tries to pull the plug.”
“Can continental Europe afford to back down just because Trump said there will be no more help from the US? I think most people understand that Putin cannot be allowed to win because the consequences for European security will be serious,” the British government official added.
According to him, one of the ways to win is to “stretch” the Russian army so thin that the Russian dictator is forced to surrender. After all, whatever the pain threshold of the Russian dictator, he cannot continue the war indefinitely.
“It’s unlikely that there will be a big breakthrough in 2024. This is the time to stretch Putin to 2025 and beyond – to essentially call his bluff and test his resolve,” the publication’s source claims.
Ukraine must retain territory
As The Times notes, according to some Western officials, Ukraine can continue to hold onto its territory without US support. They are convinced that in the long term it is much easier to hold Ukraine on the defensive and protect the achievements it has achieved than to go on the offensive.
British military intelligence chiefs believe Ukraine will not be able to win a war with Russia in 2024 because Kyiv has neither the manpower nor the weapons to make a big breakthrough on the battlefield.
At the same time, the publication notes, the Russian military also does not have the strength to launch a large-scale counteroffensive capable of breaking through the Ukrainian defenses.
Help from Western allies to Ukraine
European countries and leaders are increasingly beginning to speak out about the need to increase weapons production in order to be ready to help Ukraine in the event of a loss of support from the United States and other force majeure circumstances.
Thus, Finnish President Sauli Niinistjo said that Europe needs to invest in increasing arms production in order to prove its strength and resilience.
The Norwegian government has decided to allow direct sales of weapons and defense products from the Norwegian defense industry to Ukrainian defense authorities from January 1, 2024.
Earlier, the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry called on NATO to provide Ukraine with all the necessary weapons to defeat the Russian Federation.
Read urgent and important messages about Russia’s war against Ukraine on the channel RBC-Ukraine on Telegram.
2024-01-01 22:31:00
#Europe #Ukraine #Trump #wins #Times
