Ukraine: realities | «The Weekly Five»: 15.07 – 21.07

NATO General: Ukraine Now Has a Great War Strategy

NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, stated  during a discussion at the Aspen Institute that Ukraine has a "great strategy" for waging war against Russia. However, the course of combat operations is becoming increasingly difficult to predict.

He emphasized that the outcome of the war will depend on the ability to "generate power." Specifically, which side can accumulate "quality power faster and utilize it while the window of opportunity exists."

At the same time, the general noted that Ukrainians are currently generating such power and skillfully building their strategy: "In recent months, Ukrainians have been focused on defending eastern territories, not allowing Russia to freely use Crimea and southern Ukraine for attacks, maintaining their access to the Black Sea, and generating power. So, I believe they have a great strategy. It’s just a matter of continuing to execute it."

According to Cavoli, a key part of "generating power" for Ukraine currently depends on EU and NATO countries: "This will require us to accumulate and produce more equipment than we thought possible two years ago."

He stressed that "the outcome of the fighting in Ukraine is vital for the future of European and global security" and added that the world should not "harbor any illusions" about the end of the war in Ukraine.

 

Britain Will Provide Ukraine with Defense Loan Support of £2 Billion: Agreement Signed

The United Kingdom and Ukraine have signed an intergovernmental agreement on official loan support to develop Ukrainian defense capabilities.

According to the Office of the President , the document was signed in the presence of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by Ukraine's Defense Minister Rustem Umerov and the UK Defense Secretary John Healey.

The agreement will initiate Ukrainian-British projects, particularly for the supply and repair setup and partial production of air defense systems, armored vehicles, and ammunition.

"The agreement stipulates that British suppliers will be able to enter into loan agreements and contracts with Ukraine for £2 billion ($2.58 billion - ed). This amount is not final and may be increased in the future," the statement reads.

 

Zelenskyy and Trump Discussed a Visit to Ukraine

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a phone conversation , invited the 45th President of the United States, Donald Trump, to visit Ukraine, and their meeting was discussed.

"Zelensky urged Trump not to believe the representatives of those countries who try to explain or justify Putin's actions. There are, of course, no justifications. He is simply a killer, as the president said in the phone conversation.

He spoke about the strike on Mykolaiv, during which Ukrainians died again. They discussed and condemned the strike on July 8 in Kyiv and Ohmatdyt.

Trump also said something very interesting: he said not to believe the 'fake news' that his victory in the elections could be beneficial to Russia."

 

Netherlands Says It Will Transfer F-16 Jets to Ukraine "Soon"

Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated that F-16 fighters from the Netherlands will be in Ukraine "soon."

The official noted that F-16s "will arrive soon" and that the Netherlands is working hard to make this "happen as quickly as possible." However, he did not share any details. He also did not specify the exact number of fighters to be transferred "because this is also valuable information for Russia." According to him, all arms transfer processes should happen safely and securely.

 

Media: Greece Plans to Transfer 32 F-16 Fighters to Ukraine

Greece plans to decommission 32 old F-16 Block-30 fighters and transfer them to Ukraine.

The Greek Air Force plans to upgrade 82 F-16 fighters to Block-70 and purchase 24 fourth-generation Rafale fighters from France.

The U.S. Congress Committee also authorized Greece to purchase up to 40 fifth-generation F-35 multirole fighters.

According to sources, Greece believes it is better to transfer these aircraft back to the U.S. where they would be upgraded and sent to Kyiv.

However, according to a Greek Air Force representative, "the sale of 32 F-16s... would create a large gap in the country's air force... There should be a quorum of about 200 aircraft, which is not achievable with newer and more expensive fighters."

 

The project «Ukraine: realities» is implemented by the News agency «Konkurent» together with the Civic Movement «SVIDOMI» in English for readers from other countries to tell to tell about current news and events in Ukraine.

Проєкт «Ukraine: realities» реалізовується Інформаційним агентством «Конкурент» спільно з Громадянським Рухом «СВІДОМІ» на англійській мові для читачів з інших країн аби розповісти про актуальні новини та події в Україні.