“Although the war is now in its second month, there still seems to be a lingering lack of recognition in many Western capitals that Ukraine needs to receive far greater quantities of weapons without further delay. It is also time to rethink the types of weapons being delivered to Ukraine,” – Alyona Getmanchuk, Director of the New Europe Center wrote for the Atlantic Council.

Key ideas of the appeal: 

• All indications on the ground point to Russian preparations for major new offensives in eastern and southern Ukraine.
• Implementing far tougher economic sanctions while providing Ukraine with dramatically upgrading weapons supplies that will enable the country to finish the job of defeating Russia on the battlefield.
• Ukraine now needs to win a conventional war and requires large-scale deliveries of offensive weapons. First and foremost, this means tanks, artillery, and multiple launch rocket systems.
• Despite the many arguments in favor of increasing arms shipments to Ukraine, there are still strong signs of hesitancy. This is largely driven by longstanding Western fears of provoking Putin.
• Putin has demonstrated in both words and deeds that his principle war aim remains the destruction of Ukrainian sovereignty and Ukrainian national identity. He insists that Ukrainians are in fact Russians and refuses to accept Ukraine’s right to exist independently of Russia. Putin will pursue these criminal goals until he is stopped. Unless the West provides Ukraine with sufficient weapons in the very near future, there may soon be no Ukraine to defend.

Full text here.