United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, during his recent visit to Berlin, remarked that European nations must follow Britain in strengthening their defense spending to guarantee the Unites States' continued commitment to NATO.
Incidentally, a secret war readiness plan of Germany has been partially revealed. It was disclosed to German newspaper FAZ by armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany Lt Gen Andre Bodemann that their army chiefs are drawing up plans on how they would feed thousands of U.S. soldiers and refuel their tanks as they moved towards NATO's eastern front.
During the interview, the Bundeswehr senior official said the army was putting together a new, long-term security plan with emphasis on civil defense. Most of the planning details are a state secret, but he revealed that part of the planning process involves logistics for feeding huge numbers of American soldiers, with the main input from civilians.
"If, for example, a US division moved towards the east, thousands of tanks, thousands of soldiers, then they would need to be fed and the tanks refueled or possibly repaired," he told FAZ. "The Bundeswehr's logistics would probably be tied up with our soldiers on the front. That means we would need the maximum input from the civilian service. The convoy would get fuel from petrol stations or civilian vehicles the Red Cross would provide medical care and food from a civilian caterer. This would be the classic case.'
It has been reported that Germany is trying to make itself "kriegstüchtigteit," or "war ready," in the face of a potential armed conflict with Russia within the next five years.
Bodemann did not elaborate on which eastern front Germany would be defending, NATO officials are increasingly concerned about Vladimir Putin launching an incursion on NATO's eastern flank if his forces eventually claim victory in Ukraine.
The war readiness plan came out following a statement from Gen Carsten Breuer, the head of the German armed forces, that he had "no doubt" Germany could repel a Russian assault on the eastern flank.
"Rather, in my role as the chief of defense, it is paramount to achieving the readiness of Germany's armed forces within the next five years. We call this kriegstüchtigkeit, or being ready, capable and willing to fight. We are on the right track," Breuer said in February. (Related: Is Germany plotting to unleash WWIII by bombing Russia’s Crimean Bridge?)
Poland's Donald Tusk slams EU for all talk no action support for Kyiv
For Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk, European Union leaders' views on aid to Ukraine obviously lack implementation.
"If all the words that were said in the last years here in Brussels about common defense could be changed into bullets and rocket launchers," Tusk said on X, formerly Twitter, following the European Council meeting on April 17. "Europe would have become the strongest power in the world. And the safest place."
Last month, Tusk warned that the war in Europe is not a joke. “For the first time since 1945, war in Europe is becoming ‘real’ again: we might currently be sliding into a prewar era. He admitted that in this first international interview since taking office as Polish prime minister, he is worried about the escalating threats coming from Russia. "We are living in the most critical moment since the end of the Second World War," he added.
Military officials stated that the Ukrainian army faced a shortage of artillery shells and scaled back some operations due to a lack of assistance from the West. Critics commented that despite the strong rhetoric, the EU summit was not able to resolve to urgently supply Ukraine with air defense assets and expedite military support.
Ukraine's Lt. Gen. Ivan Havryliuk told the BBC in December 2023 that Ukraine is increasing its production of kamikaze drones to compensate for the shortage of artillery ammunition.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said on Feb, 17 that the Ukrainian Armed Forces withdrew from Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast. He said that the decision was made to avoid encirclement and to save the lives and health of the soldiers. Ammunition shortage partly influenced the loss of positions, Syrskyi added.
Moreover, UK intelligence reported that as of March 2024, the situation in the conflict zone remains unstable, particularly due to personnel and ammunition shortages, limiting the ability of Ukrainian forces to hold positions.
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