Retired British Army Colonel and military expert Glen Grant believes there is still uncertainty in the White House about how to effectively confront Russia without provoking a nuclear response.
Kremlin chief Putin's concerns about nuclear weapons are an important factor shaping the US approach to military support for Ukraine.
Glen Grant said this in an interview on the Espresso TV channel.
Regarding Congress, the colonel said, and its political landscape, it reflects the effects of Russian influence over the past two decades. And Donald Trump – presidential candidate – is the answer to that.
“Trump is so strong in the Republican Party that it seems that many of his supporters simply will not do anything against him, no matter what he has in mind,” the colonel said.
Grant named two big problems in supporting Ukraine.
“Right now, the White House still retains the ability to impose further sanctions, and they may well do so. Just last week they discovered an additional $300 million in savings from other contracts. However, I'm not suggesting that the US will somehow move away from its current actions” “In all likelihood, they will continue to do the same, trying to obtain additional funding and resources. It is unlikely that they will deploy their troops in Ukraine unless Putin directly attacks NATO. This seems obvious to me,” he explained.
In Europe, the colonel said French President Emmanuel Macron is trying to position himself as a leading leader. He puts a lot of pressure on others to support Ukraine, which is a positive thing since someone should have taken such action a long time ago.
And German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has a tendency to speak loudly without much consequence, while Macron's actions in the past have also not always matched his rhetoric.
“We will therefore have to wait and see whether his recent statements will translate into concrete action. As for Britain, despite its lack of military resources, it still has significant financial strength. Foreign Secretary Cameron recently visited Germany to negotiate the purchase of long-range missiles. Council Actions: We see that the UK remains active and committed to playing a leading role in ongoing efforts, but the future remains uncertain. In a period of uncertainty,” said the expert.
He added that during a war there is a possibility of foreign troops being deployed on Ukrainian territory, especially when it comes to the military training of Ukrainian fighters.
“Ukraine's Armed Forces are in dire need of support in training soldiers within the country. Every time they have to deploy troops somewhere, they lose valuable time on transportation and organization – time that is now critical. So, yes, partner troops could potentially come to Ukraine,” says the colonel.
Also, he said, there was a significant need for European staff officers to assist the General Staff in planning and organization.
“Precisely European ones, because I believe that their culture and concepts are closer to Ukrainian than, for example, American ones, and Europeans probably better understand the activities of the General Staff of Ukraine. However, in the long term it is difficult to foresee the possibility of introducing troops to Ukraine. As for the short term, we will have to wait and watch the actions of France. It remains uncertain whether their actions will be just talk or actual implementation,” he added.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said earlier that Russian President Vladimir Putin is afraid of a war with NATO, although he is trying to intimidate Western societies. Thus he seeks to moderate their actions.
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