The Russian-Ukrainian war has reached a critical point, but its goals remain for Ukraine to become an independent, prosperous country within internationally recognized borders and capable of defending itself.
According to the Wall Street Journal, meeting these goals will require accelerating the supply of advanced weapons and technology and pursuing a new military and diplomatic strategy aimed at protecting Ukrainian territory, increasing Ukraine's defense production, strengthening its air defenses and increasing attacks on Russian supply lines and vulnerable military positions in Crimea.
The publication indicates that the implementation of this plan is possible by following a strategy consisting of five elements.
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1. Defense
The publication writes that Ukraine’s military efforts should be more focused on defense.
— Kyiv needs to hold on to the territory it still controls even as it prepares for a counteroffensive. These include Odessa, which provides access to the Black Sea — vital for the Ukrainian economy, which depends on grain exports to international markets, — writes the publication.
Ukrainian troops should create fortified defensive lines and use modern sensors and drones to prevent future seizures of Russian lands, the material says.
2. Dependence on Western aid
Ukraine also needs to reduce its dependence on foreign aid. Today, the WSJ believes, Ukraine has a powerful defense industry that produces more weapons than before the Russian invasion in 2022. Kyiv signed more than 20 agreements with foreign partners on joint maintenance and production of weapons, which allowed it to increase its industrial potential at home and abroad.
In addition, the German company Rheinmetall and the Turkish company Baykar are planning to build factories in Ukraine for the production of tanks and drones, respectively.
However, the USA lags behind them. Washington should promote joint ventures with Ukraine's defense industry, helping U.S. defense companies reduce the risks of doing business in a combat zone and reducing restrictions, including restrictions on technology transfers under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
3. Strengthening air defense and missile defense
The third point WSJ calls is that the United States and other countries should help Ukraine create a strengthened air and missile defense network.
— Ukraine must defend itself from Russia's brutal air campaign. Western allies should redistribute Patriot batteries from other parts of Europe to Ukraine and work with Kiev to develop low-tech, low-cost defenses against drones and other weapons used on the battlefield, — the material says.
4. Strikes at enemy logistics
Fourth, Ukraine must strike Russian supply lines in eastern Ukraine and western Russia.
Such strikes would disrupt Russian logistics and complicate Moscow's efforts to consolidate its territorial gains.
— The US and Europe should allow Ukraine to use the weapons they supply to attack Russian forces in Russia who are attacking Ukraine. The same should apply to Russian supply lines and logistics, — writes the publication.
5. Attacks on Crimea
The last point the WSJ describes is that Ukraine should increase the threat to Russia's vulnerable military position in Crimea.
This should include, among other things, long-range strikes, as well as special operations against Russian forces, bases and supply lines.
— Why is the Kerch Bridge to Russia still standing — riddle, — notes WSJ.
How to implement a new strategy
The publication indicates that in order to ensure the possibility of carrying out such strikes, the United States and Western supporters must provide Ukraine with longer-range weapons with a greater combat load and lift the ban on the use of these weapons for attacks on troops and material facilities. technical support in Russia.
In addition, Germany must immediately provide the Taurus missile, and the US — Army tactical missile system (ATACMS) with a firing range of 300 km.
— This will not lead to a significant reduction in the US stockpile, since America has significant reserves and an active production line and is phasing out this system in favor of the more advanced and longer-range Precision Strike Missile (PSM).
In addition, Western supporters should provide Ukraine with F-16 aircraft equipped with high-speed anti-radiation missiles to overwhelm Russia's integrated air and missile defenses and allow Ukrainian missiles to reach their targets.
Centre of War — Crimea
The publication indicates that Crimea could become the most important center of gravity in this war, since Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, as the WSJ writes, “can afford to cede villages in the Donbass”, but the loss of the peninsula would be a serious blow.
This may be the only way to convince Putin to end the conflict, the publication believes.
However, the publication doubts that such an approach will lead to the conclusion of a peace treaty or even a formal ceasefire agreement.
— However, it could lead to a virtual stalemate with an active but static line of contact between the two militaries and much less fighting. This will save people's lives and give Ukraine a break, — says the material.
At the same time, the publication rightly notes that many in Ukraine and the West object that such a step will give Russia a break, which it can use to prepare the next attempt to “conquer and absorb Ukraine” . However, multi-year defense commitments to Ukraine being developed by the United States and other Western countries will reduce this risk.
The Wall Street Journal ends the story by saying that supporting Ukraine is not charity, because if Ukraine and the West fail, then Russia may succeed in conquering Ukraine. At the same time, Vladimir Putin, the publication believes, wants to restore the Russian Empire and lead to revanchist ambitions that could push him to invade one of the NATO member countries.
The result, the publication believes, will be a war with NATO and the United States, which no one should want.
