The defense chief says it is important to stay behind Ukraine, even if sanctions and war make it more expensive to refuel the car or pay for electricity.
Less than 10 minutes ago
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Eirik Kristoffersen says it is still true that the war could be prolonged and that it is important that sanctions against Russia continue to work in the future.
– This means that we may have to live with energy shortages, higher prices and a number of other things. I think anyone filling diesel more than we would like should think we are doing it because there is a war in Europe, the defense chief tells NTB.
At the same time, he says Ukraine’s lightning-fast offensive and success on the battlefield make one wonder if Russian forces are collapsing. Then Ukraine can win fast.
It could happen as quickly as the Taliban took Kabul
He draws parallels with Afghanistan, where he himself served and where, as defense chief, he saw the Afghan army collapse last summer. The Taliban were thus able to capture Kabul almost without a fight.
– I’m excited about what it really means for the Russian forces. If there is a breakdown in their morale they have a serious problem. We clearly saw in Afghanistan how quickly the Taliban actually took over, says Kristoffersen.
– It’s too early to tell. He will in no way underestimate the Russian forces. There is a lot of speculation as to whether there is a collapse or not, she says.
According to Kristoffersen, such a collapse is necessary if Ukraine’s success in the recent offensives is to become a turning point for the war.
– From a purely military point of view, Russia is still strong enough to maintain the areas for a long time. I still believe this will be a protracted war, which will have frontline dynamics. Otherwise there will be no such collapse then.
– Now it is Russia that supplies us with the weapons
Ukraine has been hugely successful in Kharkiv, but also has an offensive in Kherson in the south, has threatened Crimea with rockets and holds positions in Donbas.
– The offensive started in the south and in Kharkiv was very successful on the Ukrainian side. The Russian forces did not retreat in orderly formations, but had to flee their positions. They had to drop off some material and there was no controlled pickup, says Kristoffersen.
– It became clear when Ukraine said that “it is Russia that now supplies us with most of the weapons”. And it is true. The Russians fled their positions and left a lot of material behind, says the defense chief.
Western support is an important element in Ukraine’s recent progress. This happens both in the form of weapons and ammunition support, but also through intelligence and the so-called wargaming with the United States, where scenarios for an offensive or a battle are played.
– I don’t want to go into details, but the importance of Western military support is priceless. Ammo consumption is very high. Ukraine is losing material and soldiers, so continuing to provide support with military material, ammunition and training of Ukrainian soldiers is important for Ukraine to stand up to Russia, Kristoffersen says.
Train Ukrainian soldiers
The Norwegian Armed Forces also trained Ukrainian soldiers in Norway. Few details are provided in this regard.
– On the Norwegian side, we trained them in smaller units, on artillery in a round where we taught them to do simple maintenance and followed by advanced maintenance. Then we expressed our willingness to support the basic education of Ukrainian soldiers outside Ukraine, but there are many who have expressed their will, so there is no shortage of instructors, says Kristoffersen.
The Norwegian defense is following the war closely to see what can be learned from it. Ukraine is a country on an entirely different order of magnitude than Norway, but it defends itself against a larger country. It’s something the Norwegian military looks into in all weapons, says Kristoffersen.
He says there is no indication that the security picture has changed for Norway. There is little activity on the Russian side in the northern areas, says the defense chief.
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