On June 1, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the member states continue discussing possible security guarantees that can be provided to Ukraine. He also confirmed that NATO’s doors remain open for the country. The Secretary General emphasized the need to end the war and restore peace in Europe. Russia has become the greatest threat to the West, and its territorial expansion has become a cyclical phenomenon that must be tackled.
Russia has proven it can start wars of aggression even in the 21st century. As a result of invading Ukraine, Putin created a precedent of territorial expansion, which could lead to global geopolitical turbulence if such a phenomenon becomes widespread. In particular, Europe can face a whole range of challenges and threats that can destabilize the region, with the worst-case scenario being a direct war between the West and Russia — that’s if the latter invades its neighboring states that are part of EU/NATO. Accordingly, the European security architecture is now being reshaped on the Ukraine battlefield, which has de facto become Europe’s shield against Russian expansion.
The Ukrainian troops have quickly mastered the highest-end and most sophisticated military equipment and can now rightly be called the most battle-hardened army in Europe. For 15 months already, it has been defending its land from an overwhelming force deployed by Russia. Despite the heavy losses and lack of strategic initiative, Putin never abandoned the idea of occupying entire Ukraine, so while this war rages on, no country in Europe can feel safe. Russia’s territorial expansion is not only a cyclical threat — under the current circumstances, it can actually lead to the Third World War.
Taking this all into account, the supply of the required weapons for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including heavy tanks and modern fighter jets, is the main guarantee of a successful counteroffensive to regain all Russia-occupied territories. Modern weaponry could form a «strike fist» against which the invasion force would have no countermeasures. Accordingly, the coalition of Western democracies should bring Ukraine’s victory closer because if Putin isn’t stopped in Ukraine, his army will advance into Europe.