Ex-NATO representative warns West lacks strategy to end Russia-Ukraine war, support insufficient
John Lough, ex-NATO official, criticizes the West's lack of a cohesive strategy to end the Russo-Ukrainian war, noting missed opportunities and insufficient military support.
According to a Newsweek article published on 5 August, John Lough, an associate fellow at Chatham House and former NATO representative, believes that Western support for Ukraine is insufficient to achieve victory.
The Kiel Institute reported that as of 30 April, the US and Europe have allocated around €176 billion in support for Ukraine. However, Lough told Newsweek,
“Western countries are still prepared to support Ukraine but they have no strategy for ending the war.” He added, “They missed an opportunity in 2022 to give Ukraine what it needed before the Russians dug in and started to prepare for a long war.”
Lough’s comments come in response to Ukraine’s recent receipt of its first batch of F-16 fighter jets. While Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that these jets are already operational, Lough argues that their delivery alone is insufficient to turn the tide of the war.
The Economist: Limited F-16 numbers in Ukraine hinder immediate effect on battlefield
The expert suggests that a more crucial question is whether the US, UK, and France will lift restrictions on the use of their missiles, allowing Ukraine to attack targets within Russia. Lough stated,
“The West is still more concerned about short-term risks of escalation than the long-term consequences of Ukraine losing the war.”
Timothy Ash, another associate fellow at Chatham House, echoed Lough’s concerns. Ash told Newsweek,
“I think most Ukraine watchers—I have covered Ukraine for 36 years—are just frustrated with the overabundance of caution when it comes to arms supplies to Ukraine.”
Support Ukraine now or pay more later, Dutch think tanks tell West
Ash argued that the West should not be intimidated by Russian threats, stating,
“What we should have learned about Putin over the last 2.5 years is that he is scared of a direct conflict with NATO as Russia would lose any conventional war therein very quickly,” he said, later adding: “We should just go full throttle and supply Ukraine with the full complement of conventional kit needed to defend itself. That is the easiest way to deter Putin.”
Related:
- Zelenskyy seeks NATO coalition to intercept Russian missiles over Ukraine
- The Economist: Limited F-16 numbers in Ukraine hinder immediate effect on battlefield
- ISW: Ukraine will need to continue targeting Russian air defense assets to enable F-16 use
- Russian Shahed drone crashes in Romania, a NATO country, once again
- Support Ukraine now or pay more later, Dutch think tanks tell West
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