Austrian colonel explains what the West should do to Ukraine
“The War Will Be Decided in the Capitals of the West”
Ukraine managed to achieve some victories against Russian troops. According to one expert, to carry this momentum to further maneuvers, one thing is needed above all: rapid military support from the West.
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In the past few weeks, the Ukrainian army has repeatedly achieved important victories against the Russians.
Suddenly things happened quickly: Ukrainian troops managed to achieve important victories against the Russians. In turn these have been withdrawn. Shortly thereafter, Vladimir Putin (69) announced a partial demobilization of some 300,000 reservists and issued another nuclear threat.
For Colonel Markus Reissner (44), commander of the Austrian army, the third phase of the war – and thus the tipping point for the West – was now upon him. “Spiegel” explained. “It remains to be seen whether they will be able to hold on to the areas they captured,” even if Ukraine was able to recover significant areas in the Kharkiv region.
As the expert explains, the West has a key role to play in this: “The West should provide Kiev with massive support that will lead to measurable military victories for Ukrainians, such as territorial gains in the Kharkiv region.” This is the only way to ensure Western public support for military aid to Ukraine. “How the war ends will not be decided in Ukraine, but in the capitals of the West.”
Putin is using European primacy fears against the West
What does he mean? “Each side in the conflict has a so-called center of gravity. It is important to protect it. For Ukraine, this heart is the support of the West. It is the most important target for Putin – more important than the Ukrainian army.” It has been clear for some time that Putin has the solidarity of the West, but the renewed threat to use nuclear weapons makes his target clear again.
“Putin is trying to exploit Europeans’ primal fears. For example, with the shelling of the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, he stoked fears of a nuclear holocaust,” Reisner said. Fake polls also play a role here. Because once Putin annexes these areas, he can respond to attacks on this “Russian territory” with nuclear weapons.
The West needs to make quick decisions
A winter without energy or a ban on grain exports – these ideas also feed into Western fears. The superior Russians could win and the mood in the West could change. “The longer the war lasts, and the longer Russia lasts, the more likely it will be. Putin’s strategy is designed so that the West can eventually take a breather in the fight for Ukraine.”
For Reisner, one thing is clear: the West must now make quick decisions. “He must now look for a quick solution to the conflict in Ukraine — by helping Ukraine achieve the biggest military gains by delivering the biggest weapons in the shortest possible time.” Western reluctance will play directly into Russia’s hands. “The Russians see us as weak, a degraded and degenerate society that cannot fight for its values.” (chs)
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