The amount of support from Western countries will determine whether Ukraine will be able to defeat Russia this year, which launched a repeated invasion of the neighboring country last year, several experts said at the Vilnius Security Forum.
/nginx/o/2022/08/01/14732542t1h177e.jpg "Western support will determine Ukraine's chances of winning the war this year, experts say 2")
The amount of support from Western countries will determine whether Ukraine will be able to defeat Russia this year, which launched a repeated invasion of the neighboring country last year, several experts said at the Vilnius Security Forum.
“For this to happen, we need your help. We still need more weapons to liberate our territory,” Oleksiy Arestovich, a former adviser to the Ukrainian president’s office, told the BNS news agency on Friday.
Ukraine is preparing for a counterattack against Russian forces near Bakhmut in the east of the country, where the longest battles have taken place since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24 last year.
Arestovich admitted that he could not predict whether the war would end this year, but he expressed confidence that the Ukrainians would win.
On the other hand, the former commander of US forces in Europe, General Ben Hodges, expressed confidence that Ukraine can and should win this year, adding that Lithuania’s support for Ukraine is relatively strong.
“We have to help Ukraine win, not survive, win this year, and that includes liberating Crimea, which is a crucial place, the most important place,” he said.
As for the threat posed by Russia to the West, Hodges said he thinks NATO is doing the right thing.
He also praised the commitments made by the Allies at the Madrid Summit, expressing the hope that they would be reinforced at the Vilnius Summit.
“I think you will see further emphasis on improving air and missile defense, which is the biggest vulnerability. I think further emphasis will be on the defense industry,” the expert said.
Russia will be able to restore its capabilities only if it has time to do so, the US general emphasized, adding that, therefore, Western countries must ensure Ukraine’s victory.
On the other hand, the Deputy Secretary General of NATO for operations, Burju San, emphasized that risks cannot be avoided in war, but the biggest risk is to allow the victory of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
According to her, the victory of Ukraine is important for the entire transatlantic region, therefore the alliance will continue to help Ukraine without directly getting involved in the war.
On Friday, the 8th Vilnius Security Forum is being held in the Lithuanian Parliament, where this year the main focus is on collective defense and problems, as well as ways to strengthen it.
