Don't forget about Ukraine
Conflict in the Middle East should not undermine western support for Kyiv
For the past few months, I’ve been hosting Frontline, a daily YouTube series for Times Radio about the war in Ukraine. It has been eye-opening. Not only for the expertise and insight of our guests (I’ve been lucky enough to interview retired four-star generals, veteran war correspondents, and military analysts, among many others), but for the overwhelming response of our audience.
Each episode of Frontline is around 30 minutes long, with most having more than 100,000 views. Almost always, the comments beneath the videos are instructive. Aside from the usual cadre of Russian bots, our viewers express gratitude for considered coverage of the conflict. Whilst much of the western media is preoccupied, for understandable reasons, with the situation in the Middle East, there is a fear among many Ukrainians that our collective attention has moved on from Putin’s war. We must remind them it has not.
Ukraine’s military commander-in-chief, General Zaluzhny, recently used the term ‘stalemate’ to describe the current state of the conflict. Whilst President Zelensky rebuked him, Zaluzhny is essentially correct. Ukraine’s counter-offensive has ground to a halt, with both sides deeply entrenched. Russia’s efforts are now focused on capturing the small eastern city of Avdiivka, which is strategically significant due to its proximity to the occupied city of Donetsk. Despite huge Russian casualties, the Kremlin is determined to encircle Avdiivka and strike a symbolic victory.
The fundamentals remain in Ukraine’s favour. Their soldiers are better trained and better motivated than Russia’s, and Putin’s initial hopes of capturing Kyiv have long since receded. However, with Moscow increasing its military spending for next year by 70 per cent, and with Iran and North Korea continuing to send munitions, there are growing concerns over whether Ukraine can keep pace. In the US congress, there is an impasse over future funding for military aid; the EU is missing its target to provide Ukraine with a million shells; and even in Britain, there are calls for the government to go further - including from the former NATO Secretary-General Lord Robertson.
It is imperative for western democracy that Putin is defeated, and seen to be. His failure would reassert the primacy of the United States, and send an important signal to Xi Jingping, whose eyes are still fixed on Taiwan. A Ukrainian victory is also Europe’s best method of self-defence. If Putin is able to retain the land he’s captured since the illegal occupation started in 2014, he will sell it to the Russian people as a triumph. It wouldn’t be long before Putin, or an ultra-nationalist successor, returned for a second bite at central Ukraine, or indeed the Baltic states.
As Frontline’s growing audience proves, there remains a strong desire among both Ukrainians and their many allies for continued coverage and scrutiny of the war. We shall certainly continue to provide it. It is understandable that both western governments and western media are using so much air-time discussing Israel and Gaza, however it should not come at the expense of our solidarity with Ukraine. Israel’s armed forces are among the best equipped in the world, even without external support. The same cannot be said of the Ukrainian forces. Now, more than ever, we must not forget Ukraine.