“I think they want to ensure that in some cases the reaction of NATO troops to a given situation can be massively accelerated,” says Wijninga. More information on the plans is still missing, in July the NATO countries will meet at a summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.
Bachmoth
Meanwhile, fighting continues in the Ukrainian city of Bachmut. The balance between Russians and Ukrainians keeps shifting, both sides making progress and conquering villages. “This city has become of great psychological importance,” says Wijninga.
‘Victory at Bachmoet would be a huge psychological boost for the Russians. And vice versa, this also applies if Ukraine manages to keep the city again’, says Wijninga, who speaks of a ‘battle for prestige’.
Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the Russian Wagner mercenary group, accused the Russian army of retreating north of the town of Bachmut. This would put his own combatants in greater danger.
According to Wijninga, there is little clarity on the major Ukrainian offensive that has been discussed for some time. ‘When we think of an offensive, we think of a Blitzkrieg with armored cars sinking deep into an enemy. But it doesn’t have to be that way. He can also start with small strikes to see where the enemy lines are weakest.’
Zelensky at the G7
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky will attend the G7 summit on Sunday. He actually would speak over a video connection during the meeting, but he still travels to Hiroshima, Japan.
The three-day summit began on Friday, according to sources in the British Financial Times newspaper and the Bloomberg news agency, a special session on Ukraine was inserted on Sunday before Zelensky’s visit.
“Zelensky thinks it’s important to tell his story there as well,” Wijninga says. “He wants to continue to underline that support for his country is necessary to be able to carry out an offensive, but also to continue the ongoing struggle”.
Live Blog | Day 450 of the war in Ukraine
The question is whether Ukraine will be able to recapture all the conquered areas with its current military capability, says Wijninga: “If you know, then you should also ask yourself how we are going to proceed.” That’s why he expects diplomatic solutions to be discussed with Zelensky behind the scenes.