The Europeans can now equip the Ukrainian troops with German Leopard tanks, the Americans are about to send their Abrams tanks. But according to former Navy Colonel Peer De Jong on the set of BFMTV Wednesday night, hoping for a Ukrainian victory is less for the Allies than preventing a Russian triumph.
Thanks to the approval given by Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Bundestag on Wednesday, the Europeans can transport contingents of Leopard heavy tanks to Ukraine. Will we count a few dozen? One hundred? Further? In any case, the 31 Abrams tanks promised in the wake of American President Joe Biden will be added to the German armored vehicles.
In fact, Western aid to Ukraine today is a matter of quantity. Will the allocated resources be enough to deal with Russia? Former Navy Troops Colonel and Vice President of Themis Institute Peer de Jong addressed the issue on the set of BFMTV on Wednesday night. For him, the Allied effort is unlikely to allow Ukraine to win a final victory, but will prevent the Russian victory.
The United States in “Long Haul Mode”
“Today I don’t think we’re trying to win Ukraine – it’s extremely complicated – on the other hand, Russia mustn’t win,” he said.
He sees the sign of this restraint in the attitude of the United States: “We can clearly see Biden’s speech today. A rather minimalistic speech, he would not go to war. (…) I think the United States is more in a long-range mode.”
Find “a little air”
“War is a problem of balance of power and morale. We know that Ukrainians have morale, but it’s very complicated, Ukraine must not be overwhelmed headlong by a Russian offensive, that’s the real problem,” continued Peer De Jong gone.
The officer underscored the terrible human weight of the conflict: “We are talking about this war, which has lasted a year, as if it were a monopoly. But it is extremely difficult, you have 100,000 dead and wounded on the Ukrainian side, and you have 120,000-150,000 dead on the Russian side. That’s huge.”
“Ukrainians need a breath of fresh air today,” he concluded.
Robin Verner Journalist BFMTV