The United Kingdom and other European countries are striving to assist Ukraine to ensure Kyiv’s ability to win the war against Russia without the support of the United States. This option is under consideration should former US President Donald Trump win the 2024 elections, according to sources cited by The Times.
Europe is working to increase production capacities to be able to send weapons and ammunition to Ukraine to resist Russia for at least a year without US support. “He’s [Putin] betting on the House of Trump but Europe is cranking through the gears to do it without the US if Trump were to try and pull the plug,” said a source to The Times.
Europe needs to be ready to assist Ukraine without US support, as the UK government believes all that is needed to defeat Putin is time. “Can continental Europe afford to back down just because Trump said there will be no more US aid? I think most people understand that Putin cannot be allowed to win because the consequences for European security will be serious,” the senior British government official added.
According to the source, exhausting the Russian army will force Putin to surrender. The President of Russia will not be able to continue the war indefinitely. “2024 is not about a major operational success – there is unlikely to be a major breakthrough this year. 2024 is a time to stretch Putin into 2025 and beyond – actually to call his bluff and test his resolve,” the source said.
Some Western officials believe that Ukraine can hold its territories without US support. “It is much easier to hold Ukraine defensively, to protect the gains it has made, than to go on the offensive. I’m confident, at least on this issue, I think we’re pretty confident in the long term,” said one Western official.
Meanwhile, leaders of the UK military intelligence believe that Ukraine cannot win in 2024, as there are neither the human resources nor the weapons for a major breakthrough. However, the Russians also do not have enough forces for a massive counteroffensive.
Earlier, the German publication Bild, citing its source in the intelligence of one of the European countries, reported that Russia may attack Europe in the winter of 2024-2025. The Kremlin could strike when the United States is electing a new president and may not be able to come to the aid of European countries quickly.
Cover: AP Images
