Western allies believe that Russian President Vladimir Putin will stop the war in Ukraine, which has entered its third month, only if his forces suffer defeat. British network "Sky News" reported an analysis following a security meeting involving 40 countries in Germany, aimed at enhancing Kyiv's military capabilities in response to the Russian war, indicating that allies have reached this conclusion.
The network states that Western allies have concluded that Putin can halt the war in Ukraine if his forces are defeated, which can only happen with Western support, even if that bears the risk of a larger war in Europe. During the meeting, which is practically aimed at forming a supportive coalition for Ukraine, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin affirmed: "Ukraine clearly believes it can win, and so does everyone here to achieve that."
The participating countries included several European nations as well as others outside the continent, such as Kenya, Australia, and South Korea, although this puts them at risk of confrontation with Moscow. The quality of weapons provided by the West has evolved, from ammunition to tanks, reflecting the West's determination to confront Russia, leading to its weakening after the war so it cannot launch a similar conflict in the future.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley stated there is an urgent need to supply Ukraine with more conventional weapons as it faces a new Russian offensive in the east, after Ukrainian forces were able to push the Russian military away from the capital, Kyiv. In remarks during the closed session, he described the coming weeks as "critical" and noted that time "is not on Ukraine’s side." General Milley stated: "The outcome of this battle depends on the people in this room (participants in the security meeting). Ukrainians will fight, and we need to ensure they have the means to fight."
