They correspond to Zaluzhny’s plan.
7.02.2024
The war in Ukraine has reached a critical point. The AFU counter-offensive has been less successful than many expected. This gave the Russians time to entrench and gain an advantage. In the current realities, Ukraine and its supporters should follow an adapted strategy consisting of five basic elements.
The US publication of The Wall Street Journal writes that.
Defence
First, Ukraine should focus its military efforts on defence, the authors of the article believe. Kyiv needs to hold the controlled territory, even if it is preparing for a counter-offensive. This, according to the publication, includes Odesa, which provides access to the Black Sea, which is vital to the Ukrainian economy, which depends on exporting grain to international markets.
The authors also point out that Ukrainian forces should create fortified defence lines and use modern sensors and drones to prevent a new takeover of land by Russia.
“Separation” From Foreign Aid
Second, Ukraine needs to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the publication said. The country has a powerful defence industry that produces more weapons than before the Russian invasion in 2022.
The publication reminds that Kyiv has signed more than 20 agreements with foreign partners on joint maintenance and production of weapons, which has increased its industrial capacity at home and abroad.
The German company of Rheinmetall and Turkish firm of Baykar are planning to build tank and drone factories in Ukraine.
But the USA is lagging behind in this respect, the WSJ wrote. Washington, according to the publication’s authors, should facilitate joint ventures with the Ukrainian defence industry by helping US defence companies reduce the risks of doing business in the war zone, as well as reducing regulatory norms, in particular restrictions on technology transfer under international arms trade rules.
Strengthening Air Defence
Third, the US and other countries should help Ukraine build an enhanced air and missile defence network, the publication points out.
Ukraine should protect itself from Russia’s brutal air campaign, and Western allies should redeploy Patriot systems from other parts of Europe to Ukraine, and work with Kyiv to develop low-tech and low-cost defence against drones and other weapons.
Disruption of RF Logistics
Fourth, Ukraine should target Russian supply lines in eastern Ukraine and western Russia, the WSJ writes. This would disrupt Russian logistics and complicate Moscow’s efforts to consolidate its territorial gains. At the same time, the U.S. and Europe should allow Ukraine to use their weapons against Russian forces that attack Ukraine from Russian territory. The same should apply to Russian supply lines and logistics.
Threat to Russia in Crimea
Fifth, Ukraine must escalate the threat to Russia in Crimea. This involves long-range strikes as well as special operations against Russian forces, bases, and supply lines.
It remains a mystery why the Kerch Bridge keeps standing, the WSJ writes. To enable these strikes, the U.S. and Western backers must provide Ukraine with longer-range, higher-capacity weapons and lift the ban on using those weapons to attack troops and logistics on Russian territory.
Allies’ Task
Germany should immediately provide Taurus missiles and the US should provide the ATACMS army tactical missile system with a range of 305 kilometres, the authors of the article said.
In addition, Western allies should provide Ukraine with F-16 jets armed with high-speed anti-radar missiles to suppress Russia’s integrated air and missile defences and allow Ukrainian missiles to reach their targets.
Factors That Might Reduce Combat Activity
According to the authors, the most important centre of gravity in this war could become Crimea. Putin can afford to let the villages in Donbass go, but losing the peninsula would be a serious blow to him. This may be the only way to convince him to roll back the conflict, the publication says.
The authors doubt this approach will lead to a peace treaty or even a formal ceasefire agreement, but it could reduce the fighting, which would save lives and offer Ukraine a respite.
The WSJ realises that a lot of people in Ukraine and the West will argue that it would also give Russia a breather, which it could use to prepare for another attempt to take over Ukraine. However, the publication believes that multi-year defence commitments to Ukraine being developed by the US and other Western countries would reduce this risk.
https://charter97.org/en/news/2024/2/7/582545
This article says nothing new. Ukraine are already doing everything these “experts” are saying.
“Second, Ukraine needs to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the publication said. The country has a powerful defence industry that produces more weapons than before the Russian invasion in 2022.”
This point is of utmost importance. The West has been okay in supporting Ukraine, but it has been always too slow and gave too little. It also has refused to give Ukraine permission to attack mafia land with their weapons. All together, the aid could’ve been great if there had been leaders with less fear, more courage, and better foresight. Yeah, a set of balls would do them all great.
Ben Hodges said today, the biggest mistake made by Biden, and the rest of them, was not declaring an end goal, which we all want, is the destruction of the orc army in Ukraine. The US would have been more supportive had Biden come out with a statement like this, instead of the totally inadequate “as long as it takes” BS.
Indeed, that’s what I’ve been criticizing all along, amongst other things. Biden has failed to develop a strategy and to educate the people what the end game should be. He had no idea what to do and there was zero communication with the country.
Ukraine needs shitloads of weapons, and the party of George W. Bush keeps sabotaging everything with fatal global consequences.