Senior representatives of the so-called Ukraine Contact Force met for the 8th time in Rammstein, Germany on Friday to discuss further arms deliveries to Ukraine, including tanks.
The group includes NATO countries as well as other countries. Luxembourg was represented by General Steve Thull.
In a telephone interview, Thull gave RTL his assessment of the situation. He believes that the 11-month war has now come to a decisive point: if Ukraine is not supplied with the necessary weapons to launch a counter-offensive now, the country will never be completely free again.
Thull also adds that the supply of tanks and missiles with a longer target range should be considered; in his mind, this is the only way Ukraine can realistically reconquer the regions taken by Russia.
The general also understands why the war is no longer as present in the West, given we don’t hear the sounds of the daily bombings and can therefore build a mental distance over time. However, 38 million people in Ukraine, of whom up to 17 million have been displaced in the country, continue to fight for their very lives and their freedom.
Due to freezing temperatures, there is currently no major fighting, but rather small skirmishes which cover a section of about 1,300 kilometres along the border. According to Thull, the entire front covers 3,700 kilometres. Currently, neither Ukraine nor Russia is able to move the front line more than a few kilometres.
The first major phase of the war is now over, partly due to the poor condition of the Russian army. According to estimates, 170,000 to 180,000 Russian soldiers have died or been injured. However, the fact that Vladimir Putin is seeking a second mobilisation shows how determined Russia is to continue the war. If Russia is not stopped now, there could be further consequences for other countries later.
Steve Thull is not the only one to argue that a decisive point in the war has been reached. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin agrees, saying that the Ukrainian people, the Kremlin, and history are now looking towards the West.
There is no doubt in his mind that Ukraine should be supported in the defence of its territory for as long as necessary. At the meeting in Rammstein, therefore, the main aim is to put pressure on Germany to agree to the delivery of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. So far, the German Chancellor Scholz has not done so; apparently, he is waiting for the USA, which has not yet delivered any tanks to Ukraine either.
