Initially, it was widely believed that the fight would subside as the temperature dropped. But this is out of the question. “You can’t interpret it any other way than this,” says BNR foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg. “We rightly wonder how we can do it in that freezing cold, but both Russians and Ukrainians are used to living with these temperatures.”
Millimeter work
According to Hammelburg, Ukraine also continues to try to “take back pieces of territory occupied” by the Russians. ‘They’ve achieved success with that too, but they don’t make much money from it. Even the Russians shoot something over and over again, in fact they go back and forth millimeters back and forth. But in net terms, Ukraine has made considerable progress in recent times.’
Crazy period
According to Europe reporter Geert Jan Hahn, that period was mainly characterized by, among other things, the recapture of Kherson on the one hand and the standoff with both Ukraine and Russia on the other. ‘Actually, it was a crazy time. The liberation of Kherson was preceded by a simulation together with the British and the Americans, but then it got pretty quiet. And the question now is what will the Russian troops do? Will they do everything possible to recapture the city of Bachmoet to present it as a victory? Or will Ukraine try again to prevent this, together with the Americans and the British, so that morale in Russia does not rise?’
Slow (emergency) help.
At the same time, the House of Representatives strongly criticizes Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation Minister Liesje Schreinemacher. You said earlier on BNR that emergency aid for Ukraine is starting too slowly. But in the Chamber it is the minister himself who is singled out as the cause of this slow support.
According to Geert Jan Hahn, everyone here is trying to increase the pressure. ‘I think Schreinemacher would have liked to run faster herself, but it also depends on the officials. I know that in October there was contact between the minister and the European Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentA assistance package worth hundreds of millions has been released to repair, among other things, the power supply in Ukraine.’
The same problem is seen in arms deliveries, says Bernard Hammelburg. ‘I also think you can put more gas on the pedal, especially with emergency aid. But it always takes weeks or months before it really happens.
As for the arms deliveries, that’s absolutely dramatic, says Hammelburg. “America will announce today that it will send Patriot anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. But about 80 people are needed to operate such a plant and they still need to be trained. Regardless of how you get those big things that way. The same goes for smaller items like guns and ammunition.”
So it will probably be until March or April before these patriots are operational, Hammelburg thinks. “It can’t possibly be next week.”
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