Ukraine’s allies recognize the diminishing prospects for Russia in the ongoing war. The Ukrainian Armed Forces are consistently undermining Russian morale, advancing innovative technologies, employing partisans in occupied regions, and crucially, maintaining unwavering resilience. Concurrently, Kyiv anticipates support from its allies, emphasizing the necessity for the provision of modern weaponry, writes Diane Francis, Editor-at-Large at the National Post, columnist at Kyiv Post, and Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council, Eurasia Center, author, publisher on Substack.
“In essence, many now realize that Ukrainians are “winning” the war and demoralizing Russians by killing 1,000 a day, by devising superior warzone technology, and by deploying partisans and “fifth-column” special ops inside Russia and the Black Sea region. Poisonings, assassinations, and drone swarms have been unleashed inside Russia and its occupied territories. And in 2024, hopefully by spring, Ukraine will have an airforce that includes dozens of F16s to protect its skies and troops, donated by Euro nations. Besides that, Europe’s leaders claim they will prevent any obstruction to Ukrainian funding by Hungary’s Viktor Orban who says he will veto a planned $50-billion military package to Kyiv this year,” Diane Francis writes.
Diane Francis emphasizes that the sudden intensification of European assistance to Ukraine comes from the realization that Russia will not cease killing Ukrainians. Numerous Kremlin-led mass attacks on Ukrainian cities and villages demonstrate that the genocide will not come to an end.
European contributions as a percentage of their GDP in 2023 outpace US
“Putin rang in the New Year across Ukraine with his biggest air assault since 2022, unleashing 300 missiles and 200 Iranian drones on civilian targets and killing 120 and maiming 480 civilians, to terrorize and demoralize Ukrainians and the West. But he only reaped more defiance and resolve,” Diane Francis writes.
After Russia’s New Year attacks on Ukraine, Ukraine convened a NATO-NATO Council meeting. Allies agreed to provide Ukraine with “billions of euros” to strengthen its air defense, adds Diane Francis.
“Finally, few believe that Russia’s genocide will end. That realization, along with America’s preoccupation with wars elsewhere, have convinced Europeans to dramatically step up. They are next on Putin’s hit list, and it is clearly a fantasy to believe that Ukraine will ever agree to a ceasefire or that Russia will give up its goal to conquer Ukraine. Any stoppage in fighting would simply permit Putin to regroup for a third invasion of Ukraine down the road,” Diane Francis says.
Read the full text of the column at the link.
Cover: open sources
