What Ukraine Needs to Win, and Whether the West Can Deliver It
A column by Chrystia Freeland
The Gaze reports on it according to European Pravda.
Chrystia Freeland is Canadian politician of Ukrainian origin.
The West's defeatist approach to Ukraine began with the annexation of Crimea in 2014, when Ukrainians were urged not to resist and effectively resigned themselves to Russian control of the peninsula.
Before the full-scale invasion of 2022, the West was preparing to support a protracted Ukrainian guerrilla war against Russian occupation and was wary of transferring weapons to the Ukrainian government. When Kremlin tanks crossed the border, they suggested that President Volodymyr Zelensky flee so that he could lead the Ukrainian government in exile.
Even after the Ukrainian people proved their will and ability not to be subjugated, we warned Ukraine against making the most effective use of even its own weapons.
Christia Freeland, the Canadian government's special representative for Ukraine's reconstruction, calls on the West to end these half-measures. Her explanation is in the column Help or Give Up: Why the West Must Recognise Ukraine's Chance of Victory. Below is a summary of her argument.
The author of the column emphasises that since the start of the full-scale war, Ukraine has consistently exceeded Western expectations.
‘Ukraine is a democracy whose citizens, highly motivated and well-educated, refuse to be defeated,’ Chrystia Freeland stresses.
They know that Ukraine can win and that its victory is in our interests. We should listen to them more carefully and with much greater humility," the author of the column notes.
The Canadian government's special representative emphasises that, above all, Ukraine needs weapons to win.
Chrystia Freeland states that Ukraine needs missiles to take the war into Russian territory; drones, robots and artificial intelligence to conduct combat operations at sea, on land and in the air; and air defence to protect cities and energy infrastructure.
"We could help Ukraine end the war by providing it with the necessary weapons right now: American Tomahawks or German Taurus missiles, along with intelligence data for their guidance; reconnaissance and logistical support for drone units; and more Patriot complexes and other air defence systems," writes the Canadian government's special representative for Ukraine's reconstruction.
According to her, Western military support for Ukraine is limited more by finances than by political will.
At a time when European economies are facing severe and politically paralysing budget constraints, the proposal to use the Russian central bank's frozen assets as collateral for a €140 billion ($162 billion) loan to Ukraine is very important.
As the Gaze reported earlier Von Der Leyen: EUR 90 bln Loan is Tied with Ukraine Reparations.