The first tranche of EU financial aid amounting to around €3 billion was transferred to Ukraine today. The whole support package includes 18 billion euros, but according to Dick Berlin, a retired general and former commander of the armed forces, it is not enough.
He acknowledges that money is needed, but according to him Ukraine needs heavier weapons. “Without the help of heavy artillery, Kiev will never be able to repel an attack from the north,” he says. “We see that Russia has troops stationed in Belarus again, and we see that deals have recently been made between Putin and Lukashenko,” Berlin said. Putin’s goals have not changed yet. He still thinks Ukraine has no right to exist, and wants it ‘to return to his kingdom’, apparently.’
Plans of attack
According to Berlin, spring can be seen as the time when the Russians will make new plans of attack. “The new commander Gerasimov is also making himself heard,” Berlin continues. ‘So it could very well be that another attempt is being made from the north to take control of Kiev. To try to sideline Zelensky’s government and install a pro-Russian government.”
And this is the worst-case scenario that could happen, thinks Berlin. “If that happens, the war will look very different for Ukraine, and everything will be much more pessimistic,” he says. “And we can’t afford it.”
February 24th
However, since the war has been raging for exactly one year, February 24, Berlin does not think that Putin will launch the attack on that date for symbolism. “Russia will mainly look into circumstances such as the weather, viable roads and sufficient stockpiles of ammunition,” he continues. This will determine if the attack will launch. But if that attack is launched again from the north – and this cannot be ruled out – then the situation for Kiev is very bad, so we mustn’t risk it.’
Taking no chances, according to Berlin, looks like a delivery of heavy weapons, he says. “The British want to supply tanks, but Germany, France and the United States must also commit to sending weapons there,” says Berlin. “So that an attack from the north has no chance of success.”
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
