Russia rearming, expecting Western aid to Ukraine to wane - British MP

Russia is rearming while expecting that Western aid to Ukraine will eventually fade. The response on the part of Ukraine’s international partners should be to increase defense assistance to Ukraine and strengthen Russia sanctions, along with further consolidating Western unity, rather than preparing for a long war.

That’s according to British MP, former member of the Labor Party Neil Cole, who spoke with the Guildhall news agency, Ukrinform reports.

“The Russian strategy appears to be to restart rearm itself, was waiting for slowing down, disappearing or reduction of an interest in other countries in sustaining the support for Ukraine,” MP said.

“And to me the only sensible response to that is not to just play a long game, but actually to try to demonstrate even closer cooperation, closer support, a stronger alliance, greater support and greater sanctions trying to speed up the damage that need to be done to ensure Russia understands and Russian people understand that Putin’s war has changed everything not only for Ukraine, but also for Russia and international organizations. We simply cannot allow what Russia has done to be accepted or in any incremental level to be allowed to continue. I would like to see greater support, I would like to see some of the support that has been announced to go to Ukraine to reach the Ukrainian forces,” the lawmaker stressed.

Earlier, French MEP Bernard Guetta called for a shift in the Western strategy of defense aid for Ukraine, saying that the West was too slow in provide military assistance because western governments feared the possible consequences of Russian suffering a devastating defeat on the battlefield. The strategy for providing military assistance to Ukraine must and will be changed as the West becomes increasingly aware of the mistakes already made.