According to Michel Yakovleff, Ukraine will become a school of military skill for the military of NATO member countries.
Ukraine, despite its lack of membership in the EU and NATO, already plays a key role in European security. According to the French analyst and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Joint NATO Forces in Europe, retired Major General Michel Yakovleff, it is the Ukrainian army that is the strongest and most progressive in Europe today, which creates new standards for the North Atlantic Alliance.
Michel Yakovleff spoke about this in an interview with Ukrinform.
In response to a question about Ukraine’s role in the European “family” – whether it be “handwritings” or “daughters-in-law” – Yakovleff emphasized that this role will be significant.
“I don't know what [role – ed.]. But it will not be a small role. Because today the strongest army among NATO countries is not from the Alliance. The strongest army is the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The most progressive, the only one that knows what a real war is,” the general said.
According to him, European countries will become “beneficiaries” of Ukraine's presence, since they can train with the Ukrainian army and improve their military skills.
Yakovleff emphasized that Ukrainian military leaders are leaders in the use of drones, targeting, logistics and rescuing the wounded in high-intensity warfare.
“You see, we will use drones at the same level as the Ukrainian army. We will learn how to target, we will improve, we will deal with logistics, we will learn how to care for the wounded,” he explained.
The French general believes that NATO's current standard is inferior to Ukraine's in these areas. The only thing NATO does better is maneuvers and organizing the reversal of forces, since Ukrainian units are now concentrated on the front line.
“High-intensity, massive warfare, drones, target identification and so on – here it is Ukraine that is the teacher [for NATO – ed.],” Yakovleff emphasized.
He added that the Americans will also eventually understand that they are lagging behind in their development. Thus, cooperation between Europe and Ukraine is mutually beneficial.
“So, it's not a one-way street, it's not just Europe in its great generosity that's going to help Ukraine, it's a two-way street. If you want to quickly create an army that's trustworthy, then go to school in Ukraine,” Michel Yakovleff concluded.
Recall that retired US Army General Ben Hodges also believes that NATO should learn from the Ukrainian army, and not the other way around. In his opinion, most NATO armies are inferior to the Ukrainian Armed Forces in terms of combat training and effectiveness.
