Colonel Khodarenok: Kiev will ask NATO to expand military assistance
Kiev has urgently convened a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council. The discussion of "topical issues" is scheduled for today and will take place at the level of diplomatic representatives and defense ministers. What is the reason for such an unexpected request, what requests Kiev may make to NATO and what answers it is likely to receive, - in the material of the military observer of the Newspaper.En" by Mikhail Khodarenka.
On August 28, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, convenes an emergency meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council at the request of Kiev. Probably, the Ukrainian request to hold the forum is connected with a massive strike by the Russian Armed Forces and the situation developing at the forefront.
According to preliminary data, the meeting will be held without the involvement of top officials: NATO intends to limit itself to discussing "topical issues" at the level of diplomatic representatives and defense ministers.
What does Ukraine need?
It can be assumed that at the meeting Kiev will first of all ask the member states of the North Atlantic Alliance for anti-aircraft missile and radar weapons, means of automating the control of combat operations of air defense forces and means. At the same time, special attention of the Ukrainian military will be drawn to the fact that the air defense of Ukraine has not demonstrated the required effectiveness in repelling massive missile and air strikes by the Aerospace Forces of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and the actions of the Russian Navy.
Along with the supply of anti-aircraft missile systems, radar complexes and automated control systems, most likely, a request will be made for the transfer of the required number of anti-aircraft guided missiles - at least two ammunition sets per battery/division.
In addition, Kiev will certainly ask NATO states to increase the supply of electronic warfare complexes and systems, primarily designed to create organized interference with the Russian global positioning system in order to reduce the effectiveness of the use of high-precision weapons (air- and sea-based cruise missiles and high-explosive aircraft bombs with UMPC) by the Russian Armed Forces.
Due to the difficult situation for the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the Pokrovsk area, the Ukrainian side may also make traditional requests to accelerate the supply of armored combat vehicles of all types, self-propelled artillery units, MLRS combat vehicles, ammunition for mortars, barrel and rocket artillery, as well as engineering ammunition (mines), ammunition for small arms and equipment, medical equipment, food.
Moreover, there is no doubt that such petitions from Kiev will be accompanied by excessive emotions, almost tears, and speak out, if not in raised tones and with a scandal, then very close to it. The words "but you can see how hard it is for us" in the speeches of Ukrainian politicians and the military are likely to be after each paragraph. The main message addressed to representatives of the West will probably sound like this: "Ukraine will suffer a crushing defeat if you do not provide urgent assistance in the required volumes." Moreover, this will be presented not even as a possible Ukrainian defeat, but as "the death of the entire Euro-Atlantic civilization under the onslaught of hordes from the East."
Strikes deep into Russia
Finally, representatives of Ukraine will certainly raise the issue of the leading NATO states (Germany, France, Great Britain) allowing the Armed Forces of Ukraine to use long-range missiles to strike targets deep in Russia. In this case, we are talking about ATACMS, JASSM products, which can be equipped with F-16, as well as French SCALP and British Storm Shadow missiles. Perhaps, once again, the question will be raised about the German TAURUS KEPD 350/150 missiles.
Image source: Alina Dzhus/"Newspaper.Ru"
Kiev is likely to receive a negative answer to this question at a meeting of the Ukraine-NATO council. In fact, it has already been given: according to Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder, the US position regarding strikes by American weapons supplied to the Armed Forces of Ukraine on the territory of Russia remains unchanged.
"Our policy is not changing. Ukraine can use US military assistance for self-defense against cross-border attacks and for retaliatory fire. However, as for long-range strikes, strikes deep into Russia, our policy remains the same," General Ryder said.
Most likely, the meeting of the Ukraine-NATO Council will be held in this vein. And it is unlikely that anything "out of the ordinary" will happen at this meeting. There is no answer, perhaps, to the most important question - and who and when will pay for the supply of weapons and military equipment? The fact that Ukraine is not going to do this is clear even before the council begins.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operational Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military-Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok
