Former NATO commander calls on Ukraine to attack Crimea.
(Baonghean.vn) - Former NATO Supreme Commander in Europe Philip Breedlove has argued that the West needs to provide Ukraine with weapons that it can use to intensify attacks on Crimea.
According to this American general, increasing pressure on the Crimean Peninsula, where Russia's Black Sea Fleet is stationed, will force Moscow to "rethink its position there."
The predominantly Russian-speaking region voted overwhelmingly to join Russia in the 2014 referendum following the Maidan coup. An editorial in The Hill on January 18 quoted Breedlove as saying: “If we allow Ukraine to attack Crimea – extensively, continuously and precisely – then Russia will be forced to rethink its position there.”
The retired general advised, "Attack comprehensively, attack relentlessly, and destroy deeply." Breedlove's colleague, Ben Hodges, a former U.S. Army commander in Europe, agreed that the peninsula represented "the decisive strategic location of the war."
Speaking at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov confirmed that despite the failure of the summer counteroffensive, achieving Ukraine's 1991 border objectives remains a "strategic goal." This means retaking Crimea, the port city of Sevastopol, and several other areas currently under Russian control.
In an interview with The Economist earlier this month, Ukrainian President Zelensky described the isolation of Crimea as an “extremely important” goal. He expressed confidence that the Ukrainian armed forces would achieve this by 2024. The head of state also revealed that Kyiv would focus particularly on the Kerch Bridge, connecting Crimea to mainland Russia. Therefore, President Zelensky once again requested Germany to supply Taurus long-range cruise missiles, a weapon that Berlin has so far refused to provide.
In recent months, Ukraine has launched dozens of attacks on the Crimean Peninsula, using drones at sea and in the air, as well as various types of missiles.
In early January, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported that its air defense system had intercepted 36 Ukrainian drones as well as 10 missiles flying over Crimea, including several British-supplied 'Storm Shadows' missiles.
