Too little air defense, hardly any ammunition left – the Ukrainian armed forces are on the defensive. They are “helpless because we have made them helpless,” criticizes security expert Christian Mölling
According to security expert Christian Mölling, the Ukrainian armed forces have less and less ability to counter Russian attacks. Mölling said on Friday star– “The situation – international”: “The Ukrainians are helpless because we made them helpless.” The research director of the German Society for Foreign Policy said the Russians were deliberately trying to overload Ukraine’s air defenses. But they would have more missiles at their disposal than before. The defenders are faced with the “bitter question” of whether they are protecting civilian centers or positions at the front with their limited options. The situation with artillery ammunition is also “really bad”. Many of the Ukrainian guns could hardly be used anymore. “They are basically defenseless in the situation,” he said of the Ukrainian troops. He did not rule out the possibility that Ukraine would suffer severe defeats in the coming weeks and months and, for example, lose the city of Kharkiv with over a million inhabitants.
Mölling assumed that the West would now give more anti-aircraft systems and ammunition from its arsenals to Ukraine – but this did not change the fact that supplies were limited. “There is a lack of post-production,” he criticized. Ukraine’s partners failed to increase weapons production in a timely and sufficient manner.
Ukraine is becoming weaker – Russia is becoming stronger
As Mölling further said, NATO will drastically increase the requirements for its members in the area of air defense in order to be prepared for future threats from Russia. Nevertheless, it is right to hand over as much material as possible to Ukraine in the short term. Mölling again called for not only air defense to be delivered, but also long-range systems such as the Taurus cruise missile to hit Russia’s supply routes. “We always try to shoot the arrows, but we don’t try to shoot the archer,” he criticized.
Mölling expected the aid package for Ukraine to pass Congress in the United States this weekend. He saw this as a sign that Republican former President Donald Trump was already having a say in US foreign policy before his nomination for the November election – and this while he was on trial. “That’s power,” said Mölling. Trump’s willingness to no longer block aid could be due to the fact that his advisors had made it clear to him what was at stake in Ukraine.
Source: Stern
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