The full-scale war in Ukraine continues and Ukrainians face another major Russian offensive. Kiev urgently needs to mobilize more troops and build a more reliable defense line, says an article in The Economist.
"When summer comes, there are fears that Russia will launch another major offensive, as it did last year. And Ukraine's ability to contain it this time seems much less likely than it did then," the article notes.
According to journalists, the Ukrainian side strengthened its defensive positions very late. “In a sense it is understandable. The government is still dreaming of a new counter-offensive and dreads the thought that the current front line could turn into something very much like a border cutting off a fifth of the country. The idea that this line could become the basis for future peace negotiations is exactly what Zelensky wanted to avoid, the article notes.
Journalists claim that the dangers now for the Ukrainian state are enormous. Recently, Ukrainian forces have mobilized to build defensive lines and obstacles for the Russian invaders. This should have started much earlier. "Pray it's not too late," the publication emphasizes. When will the war in Ukraine end..
The German newspaper Welt earlier predicted that the war between Ukrainians and Russians could be stopped this year. According to the German media, Ukraine is facing a “critical phase” in the confrontation until September, if the Western countries do not quickly provide it with many more weapons.
Meanwhile, Kiev has called on NATO to provide it with more air defense systems. Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov briefed allies on the consequences of the Russian attacks, as well as on the retaliatory measures taken by Ukraine. Minister Umerov called on the NATO member countries to provide additional air defense systems and missiles to protect Ukrainian cities and citizens, the “Ukrinform“ agency reported yesterday.