Ukraine: Do Western weapons help against Russia?

2024-06-11 07:55:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Ukraine: Do Western weapons help against Russia?

Western weapons in Ukraine

The German federal government has long hesitated: Should it allow Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia, to use German weapons against targets in Russia? Berlin's concern was that the Kremlin might see Germany as a belligerent.

But after the US gave Ukraine permission to use US weapons, Chancellor Olaf Scholz backed down on his concerns. Ensuring peace today means "that we support Ukraine," Scholz said, and approved the use of German weapons to strike Russian targets on Russian territory. It is right to always consult closely with partners and allies before taking such "far-reaching decisions" and weigh all the risks.

Until now, Western weapons have been sent only for self-defense against Russian attacks.

Patriot, MARS II and ATACMS can hit Russian airbases

To hit targets on Russian territory, the German arsenal could include the Patriot anti-aircraft missile system with a range of about 68 kilometers; as well as the MARS II missile launcher, which can hit targets up to 80 kilometers away. Last year, the US equipped Ukraine with ATACMS missiles, which have a range of 165 kilometers. The longer-range variant can hit targets up to 300 kilometers away.

Patriot Systems

The West has adapted to the new realities of war, says Frank Sauer, an international politics expert at the Metis Institute at the Bundeswehr University in Munich. "We have seen for a long time that Russia bombards the metropolitan areas of Ukraine, especially Kharkiv, every day from its airspace and from places close to the border - with devastating consequences for the civilian population," Sauer said in an interview with DW.

Defense capabilities of Ukraine

"Now it is possible to bomb the (Russian) airfields from which these bombers are launched and destroy them on the ground. The infrastructure and runways can also be hit, so that the number of these Russian attacks is reduced and protected Ukrainian civilian population. "There are other points of concentration of Russian ground forces that can be reached with ATACMS or other weapons."

If Russian pressure in the Kharkiv region eases, Ukraine will be able to better defend other front lines, Sauer says. "Until now we have been faced with the terrible dilemma of protecting the front or the civilians in the rear."

Time factor

It has become clear to the West that Ukraine "must be put in a position to take active action against Russia, otherwise it will lose," says professor and conflict researcher Andreas Heinemann - founder of the CASSIS Institute at the University of Bonn.

It has also become clear to the Western allies that there is little time left for action. On the one hand, Russia is investing massively in its arms industry and war machine - but these investments have yet to reach the battlefield, says Heinemann's founder. On the other hand, sufficient support for Ukraine under a potential new US president, Donald Trump, is unlikely. The new composition of the European Parliament after the EU elections may also have an impact on the EU's policy towards Russia.

In addition, the fear in the West of a nuclear escalation by Russia has decreased significantly. "It seems to me that the West has sent clear signals that it would not tolerate a nuclear attack on Ukraine and would take much more massive action against Russian targets." In a direct confrontation with NATO, Russia would lose, the researcher says. .

Western weapons against targets in Russia: big advantage, but no progress

ATACMS systems

The use of Western weapons against targets on Russian territory greatly facilitates Ukraine, but cannot bring a major breakthrough in the course of the war, experts emphasize. "The window of opportunity that could have drastically changed the situation is now closed," says Frank Sauer.

According to international law, Ukraine has always had the right to defend itself in the territory of the aggressor and not only in its territory, the founder of Heinemann emphasizes. Even if there are casualties among members of the Russian armed forces during the use of Western weapons, this does not contradict international military law, but is part of fighting, says Frank Sauer.

"Of course you shouldn't target civilian infrastructure or civilians or use excessive force that is disproportionate to the military objective. But Ukraine has not done that so far. On the contrary: Russia has so far fired 500-kilogram bombs into stores of equipment, residential buildings and theaters", he says./ DW