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Written by Ahmed Adel, Cairo-based geopolitics and political economy researcher
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on April 6 that Ukraine could run out of air defence missiles if Russia continues to carry out long-range bombings. His comments come as senior officials in Kiev complain that military aid arrives late and that the West does not have the necessary technology to confront the Russian Army.
In an interview with a Ukrainian channel, Zelensky stated that if Russia keeps hitting Ukraine “every day the way they have for the last month, we might run out of missiles, and the partners know it.”
Zelensky also stated that he still had defence stocks, but, according to Reuters, he was “already having to make difficult choices about what to protect.” In particular, he highlighted the need for Patriot air defence systems, which Russian forces have already destroyed.
Kiev has faced several difficulties, both due to a lack of equipment and a lack of personnel. Nonetheless, this was Zelensky’s most serious warning since the beginning of the conflict about the issues faced by Ukrainian air defences.
In a demonstration of desperation, the Ukrainian president recently signed a law changing the draft age in Ukraine from 27 to 25 and abolished the “limited fitness” classification for recruits. Effectively, he forced those who had been deemed unfit for military service to resubmit a medical examination within nine months.
In the context of Zelensky acknowledging that his military could exhaust its stocks very soon if its Western allies do not quickly supply more weapons, Ukrainian officials told Politico that the weapons and military equipment it receives from Washington arrive very late, so it could already be too late to change the course of the conflict in Ukraine’s favour. Ukrainian commanders also complained that “the West doesn’t have the technology to help Ukraine” on the battlefield.
An example of late shipment is the case of the F-16 fighter jets, which were expected to arrive in Ukraine in late 2023 but are now supposed to arrive in late spring.
“While the incoming F-16 fighter jets are welcome, they would’ve been more helpful a year ago,” said a senior Kiev official to Politico.
In contrast, US officials have said they would like the process to be faster but argue that shipments of weapons and technology, such as fighter jets, take time. Additionally, $60 billion worth of aid to Ukraine remains stuck in the House of Representatives.
“While getting F-16s to Ukraine sooner would be ideal, it still needs to be done properly and we believe they will still provide a significant boost to Ukraine’s air power when they become operational,” said Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Charlie Dietz.
Ukrainian officials consulted by Politico say they want more Patriot air defence systems to protect against Russian attacks.
“Ukraine is the only country in the world that defends itself from ballistic missile strikes almost daily. Therefore, Patriot systems nowadays should operate in Ukraine and not be stored in hangars,” according to an internal Ukrainian government document sent on April 4 to set out talking points for Ukrainian officials. “The transfer of Patriot systems to Ukraine is a matter of political will, not physical ability.”
Since the beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in October 2023, the US State Department has continued to authorise arms shipments to Israel that are tranches of orders, even though US President Joe Biden has the power to limit any arms deliveries abroad, even those previously approved by Congress. Effectively, although Biden is desperate to approve further aid to Ukraine, political will is waning in Washington, especially after the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, and support for Kiev will certainly not come at the price of weakened support for the Jewish state.
This shows that Washington has no real plan for Ukraine now, with many European partners having conflicting ideas on how the war should end. Many in the West want to prevent the collapse of Ukraine under constant Russian pressure with the strategic objective of creating the conditions for a negotiated settlement. However, this is impossible to achieve since Ukraine does not have the capabilities to grind down Russia, even if Western media, analysts, and leaders incorrectly describe the current situation as something akin to the stalemate in World War I.
The reality is that the US, which has been providing 80% of military supplies to Ukraine, has failed to pass the new military aid package, and without the US, European allies can do very little to support Ukraine in an effective manner. Zelensky can keep warning and complaining about the lack of Western weapons, but this is a reality he must be accustomed to, especially with the summer arriving and Russia seemingly preparing for a major offensive.
bravo! de la un animal pe. timpul lui iliescu si un neesential pe. timpul lui bouhanis si bourafat sincere felicitari! duca se la castelul lui pe insula!
the allies are always kicking the asses of the snow-nighers and gopniks…heheheheheh 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
still think can change the outcome! delusional coke head.