Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Volodymyr Zelensky makes new plea for tanks and jets

Volodymyr Zelensky makes new plea for tanks and jets

Ukraine President appeals to EU for rapid response over feared Putin offensive

Ukraine pleaded with the West on Thursday to speed up the delivery of battle tanks ahead of a new offensive expected to be launched by Vladimir Putin within weeks.

Volodymyr Zelensky was also urging European nations to supply more long-range missiles and artillery to force back Russian troops. After visiting Britain on Wedesday, where he stepped up the demand for fighter jets, Ukraine’s president flew to Paris to urge Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to boost their military support for Kyiv. Speaking at the European Parliament in Brussels this morning, Mr Zelensky told MEPs: “We are defending ourselves in the battlefield, we Ukrainians, together with you.”

He was then due to attend a meeting of the European Council where he was going to step up his plea for more powerful weapons and munitions supplies, according to a Ukrainian official. “We badly need as of now, as of yesterday, long-range artillery, all types of artillery ammunition,” he said.


“Battle tanks — the decision has been taken by several member states, but we have no tanks for now. This needs to be speeded up.”

Britain has led the West in supplying main battle tanks to Ukraine, with Germany and other European nations then agreeing to send Leopard 2 tanks and the US the Abrams model. As Russia is stepping up its attacks in the east of the war-ravaged country, Ukrainian tank crews are being trained as quickly as possible in the UK to use Challenger II tanks, with 14 of them set to be sent to the battlefield.

Captain Sam Upward, head of tank training of Ukrainian armed forces in the UK, told LBC Radio: “They are absolutely obsessed with getting on the platform and learning everything that they can do, and milking every bit of knowledge out of our instructors.” Pressed on their determination to return to Ukraine to fight, he added: “They are absolutely obsessed with that, and working long hours. They just want to get these things back and defend their homeland.”

Lord Dannatt, former head of the British Army, predicted that a Russian offensive in coming weeks will “probably fail in a rather bloody fashion,” leaving Putin’s army vulnerable to a counter-offensive which could break its morale and lead to its defeat.

One Ukrainian official said Putin’s offensive could be launched within 10 days. Lord Dannatt told Talk TV: “We are going to see a fresh Russian offensive in the coming weeks and months, probably as winter eases in Ukraine.

“With the equipment that has already been provided to the Ukrainians and their own determination, that Russian offensive will, in all probability, fail and probably fail in a rather bloody fashion.

Ukrainian service members ride atop of a BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle near a frontline in Donetsk region 

“That’s then the moment for the Ukrainians to mount a counter-offensive, to strike while the Russians in a sense are reeling from their own imminent defeat.” He added: “They will have to go with what they have got. It sounds as if from what we heard yesterday that British tanks will be available. Let’s hope that the Leopard 2s are also available to combine with the existing tanks, armoured infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery that the Ukrainians have either got or are being given to mount an effective counter-offensive in the spring.”

He added: “If they were able to do that with a sound operational plan, with their characteristic determination, and the weapons and ammunition we have got for them, there is every prospect that the very fragile morale of the Russian army will crack. When the morale of an army cracks, then that is tantamount to losing.”

Russian forces were reported to have significantly stepped up attacks in eastern Ukraine and were trying to break through Ukrainian defences near the town of Kreminna.

Serhiy Haidai, governor of the Luhansk region, said Ukraine’s military were holding their ground near Kreminna but they needed more weapons and ammunition to hold out.

“I can confirm that there has been a significant increase in attacks and shelling. And it is in the direction of Kreminna that they are trying to build on their success by pushing through our defenders’ defences,” he told Ukrainian television.

“So far they have had no significant success, our defence forces are holding firmly there.”

Kreminna, which is about 62 miles north-west of the regional capital Luhansk, had a population of about 18,000 before Russia’s invasion in February last year.

Breaking through Ukrainian lines near Kreminna would take Russian forces a step closer to the much larger city of Kramatorsk. “(We need) heavy equipment and artillery ammunition — then we will not only be able to maintain the defence, but also make a good counter-offensive operation,” Mr Haidai said.

Kyiv says Russian forces were trying to take full control of the Luhansk and Donetsk regions in Ukraine’s industrial Donbas region. Some Western military analysts say the new Russian offensive has already begun.

After major Ukrainian gains on the ground in the second half of last year, Russia has recovered momentum, sending tens of thousands of recently mobilised troops to the front.

Rishi Sunak announced yesterday that Britain is investigating if any of its fighter jets could be supplied to Kyiv, with Ukrainian pilots being trained in the UK on Nato-standard modern aircraft. However, military experts say that F-16 jets from other European nations including Poland and the Netherlands, or the US, may be more suitable to be supplied to Ukraine, rather than the British Typhoons and F-35s.

After spending the night in Paris where he had dinner with Mr Macron and Mr Scholz, Mr Zelensky boarded the French president’s plane for the short flight to Brussels.

Josep Borrell, who chairs EU summits, said the European bloc would promise more military support for Ukraine. At the meeting in Paris, Mr Macron and Mr Scholz also vowed continued support for Ukraine and heard Mr Zelensky’s pitch for advanced arms.

“France and Germany have the potential to be game changers and that’s how I see our talks today,” the Ukrainian president said.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
Hungary Ranked Among the World’s Safest Travel Destinations for 2025
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
FBI and Senate Investigate Allegations of Chinese Plot to Influence the 2020 Election in Biden’s Favor Using Fake U.S. Driver’s Licenses
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
×