Putin cannot defeat Ukraine if Europe and U.S. provide strong support – German General
Heinrich Brauss, retired Bundeswehr Lieutenant General and former assistant secretary general of NATO for defense policy and planning (2013–2018), said this in an interview with Ukrinform.
“A Russian victory must not happen. It must be prevented at all costs… Putin has become even more radical in recent years and now appears determined to break Ukraine and then, who knows, what else he might do in Europe,” Brauss emphasized.
He noted that the issue is not only military but also political and strategic. If Russia prevails, Putin may conclude that he can act successfully against NATO and pursue his strategic goals of restoring spheres of influence in Europe — goals he outlined in his December 2021 ultimatums to the U.S. and NATO leadership.
“Therefore, Ukraine must stand firm and continue fighting. Moreover, from a military perspective, it is constantly wearing down the Russian army… If we — Europeans and Americans — continue to strongly support Ukraine, I am confident that Putin will not be able to achieve a military victory… We have no alternative but to support Ukraine and the Ukrainian army with everything we can,” the former commander said.
This also means, he said, supporting Ukraine’s defense industry and cooperating with it.
Brauss agreed with assessments that Ukraine currently has the strongest armed forces in Europe having combat experience and modern warfare practices. If Ukraine continues to act as it has been, receives the right weapons, especially air defense systems, if its own defense industry can produce the required systems and drones, and if it receives help in stabilizing and protecting its energy infrastructure, it can succeed. In that case, the Russian armed forces will be unable to advance significantly, their offensives will exhaust themselves and “stall,” the former senior NATO official believes.
As reported, Germany is currently the largest donor of assistance to Ukraine, including military aid. In recent days, it delivered two more Patriot air defense systems to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
