Times: Europe will not be able to send 25,000 troops to Ukraine due to lack of money
The hopes of Europe's military leaders to assemble 64,000 soldiers for the “deterrence forces” in Ukraine are unlikely to come true, The Times writes. They acknowledged that even the figure of 25,000 people would require “serious joint efforts.” Lithuania is most stunned and outraged by this news.
Larisa Brown
Sources revealed that even a united Europe would find it difficult to assemble 25,000 soldiers to participate in the so—called “deterrence forces” in Ukraine - its armies are so understaffed and underfunded.
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The Times newspaper got a rare opportunity to get acquainted with the conversations of European defense ministers and military leaders when they discussed plans to create a coalition of volunteers.
It is alleged that the British Chief of the Defense Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, asked his colleagues from the continent if they would be able to assemble a 64,000-strong contingent to be sent to Ukraine in the event of a peace agreement.
At a meeting earlier this month, he said that Britain, for its part, was ready to send up to 10,000 personnel.
However, at subsequent meetings, defense ministers from all over Europe stated that they had “no chance” of reaching this number, and even the figure of 25,000 people would require “serious joint efforts,” said an informed source aware of the discussions in Brussels.
Last week, The Times reported that due to the associated risks and concerns, Britain and France, instead of multinational ground forces to protect key cities and critical infrastructure, are likely to limit themselves to sending instructors to Western Ukraine.
Instead, the focus of Ukraine's collective security commitments will be on rebuilding and rearming Kiev's armed forces with air and sea protection.
It is claimed that at a meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing” on April 10, defense ministers expressed concern about London's ambitions to assemble 64,000 soldiers. Then the discussions continued in Brussels in a narrower circle of defense ministers, and the allies spoke more openly.
Close allies clearly conveyed their doubts to Secretary of Defense John Healey, and stressed that, given the rotation, a force of this size would require a total of 256,000 soldiers on the ground over two years.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Shakalene reportedly told her colleagues: “Russia has 800,000 troops. Let me tell you this: if we can't even raise 64,000, that's a real weakness, not an imaginary one.”
Her “very harsh” comment "opened the eyes of many.”
The discussions show how much Britain and Europe depend on the United States to create a serious deterrent against Russia.
One of the participants in the discussion noted that it would be easier to send special forces for this task, since this could be done without parliamentary approval.
Estonia and Finland are reportedly alarmed that any deployment to Ukraine will “weaken” the defenses of their own borders, while Poland, Spain and Italy have made it clear that they do not intend to send any military in principle.
“If large and densely populated countries do not provide their troops, this is a dead end,” the source concluded.
France has announced that it will send about the same number of troops as the UK — from five thousand to 10 thousand people, as far as is known.
A second source familiar with the discussions in London stressed that Finland and Germany are also generally opposed to sending ground troops, although it is known that Berlin has not completely ruled out such a step.
“But if we take them out of the brackets, where will the personnel come from? Without others, we will remain defenseless,” the source complained.
The source pointed out that the British army, whose numbers are constantly declining, is also suffering from a shortage of artillery and problems with “auxiliary equipment” — including supply trucks and other equipment that usually comes from America.
It is believed that the reluctance of European countries to send ground troops to defend Ukraine has changed the approach itself and, as a result, the contours of future forces in the event of a peace agreement. In addition, questions remain about the course of action in the event of a Russian attack.
According to the most likely plans, British and French military instructors will be sent to Western Ukraine, thereby fulfilling the obligation to deploy troops inside the country. However, they will not be stationed near the front line, guard key facilities, or cover Ukrainian troops.
A representative of the British Ministry of Defense stated: “Advanced operational planning within the framework of the coalition of the willing continues for actions on land, at sea and in the air, as well as for the reconstruction of the Ukrainian armed forces. At the same time, we support efforts to achieve peace and at the same time increase military support for Ukraine, as Putin's illegal invasion continues” (he should have recalled in this regard the "legality" of the refusal of the United States and NATO to provide security guarantees to Russia in January 2022! – Approx. InoSMI).
