The British head of armed forces has acknowledged that Ukraine is likely to face a shortage of ammunition and remain at a disadvantage in their conflict with Russia for the next few months. This is until the western countries come to an agreement on providing additional support to Kyiv.
During a conference in London, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin chose not to address the proposal made by France to send western ground troops to Ukraine. Instead, he placed importance on the immediate requirement to ramp up industrial support.
According to the top military official, Ukraine is currently facing challenges on the ground due to insufficient ammunition and stockpiles. This is due to the suspension of US military assistance by Congressional Republicans and the inability of Europe to fill the gap.
Discussions are currently taking place among Nato partners regarding enhancing our assistance to Ukraine, as stated by Radakin. Further updates are anticipated to be announced during or leading up to Nato’s summit in Washington DC in July.
The military leader stated that Russia had already made strategic advances by gaining control of small portions of land, specifically mentioning the town of Avdiivka on the eastern front. This takeover resulted in 17,000 Russian deaths and 30,000 injuries over five months.
There is currently a significant conflict occurring near Chasiv Yar, a town in the Donbas region, where Ukraine was forced to withdraw to after losing Bakhmut in the previous year. According to Ilia Yevlash, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian army, intense fighting is happening on the outskirts of the villages of Ivanivske and Bogdanivka, which are located to the east.
Radakin believes that this situation will probably continue for the next few months, indicating that Kyiv is not expected to launch a new counteroffensive until at least late summer and possibly not until next year.
On Monday, the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, stated that sending soldiers to Ukraine should be considered, but he recognized that there is not unanimous agreement among allied countries.
There was no immediate support for his proposal among the members of NATO.
According to a representative of UK prime minister Rishi Sunak, there are no intentions to send troops on the ground – with similar assertions being made by the US, Germany, Italy, Spain, and other western nations.
Possible alternatives could include additional donations of weaponry, a continued and consistent distribution of arms, and increased long-term financial aid, similar to the “lend-lease” program during World War II. Under this program, the United States gave free supplies worth billions to 30 allied countries in exchange for delayed payment.
Radakin aimed to quell any rumors following a recent statement made by Army chief Gen Sir Patrick Sanders that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) was considering reinstating a type of compulsory military service in light of Russia’s hostile actions.
“We are not on the cusp of war with Russia. We are not about to be invaded. No one in the Ministry of Defence is talking about conscription in any traditional sense of the term,” Radakin said in a thinly veiled rebuke to the army chief.
It is reported that Sanders was reprimanded by Radakin for his speech, which was not approved by either Downing Street or the Ministry of Defense. He was also held responsible for the notion that a reserve citizen army through conscription was appealing to certain high-ranking military members.
The leader had mentioned that individuals from Great Britain who were born before the war may need to ready themselves for combat against Russia, as the country’s army size of 74,110 was comparatively small. According to him, the UK must take measures to ensure that our communities are prepared for war.
According to Radakin, Russia is deeply involved in the conflict in Ukraine and is not currently a significant military threat to the UK or NATO members in the east. If it were to become a threat, Moscow would need to replenish its supply of tanks and armored vehicles, replenish its arsenal of long-range missiles and artillery, and disengage from its challenging and ongoing war.
The admiral clarified, “I am not implying that Russia is not a threat. It has displayed its aggressive tactics both within its own borders and on the global stage. However, it is not as powerful as we previously thought it would be.”
According to Radakin’s allies, the belief that he was upset with Sanders was exaggerated. They stated that while his speech from last month was mostly well written, there were a few poorly interpreted paragraphs in the media.
Source: theguardian.com
