Former Pentagon chief has described the Ukrainian army as the most combat-ready in Europe
In an interview with Independence Avenue Media, former US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper stated that the Ukrainian Armed Forces are the most combat-ready and experienced army in Europe.
Responding to a question about the prospects of Ukraine’s NATO membership, Esper noted that the most important step at present is to send a clear signal regarding Ukraine’s future within the Alliance. In his view, this would help reassure NATO allies, strengthen Ukraine’s position and serve as an additional deterrent to Russia.
At the same time, he suggested that, given the war with Russia, there may be different approaches to Ukraine’s accession to NATO. In particular, the temporarily occupied territories may not be covered by the Alliance’s guarantees, or membership may not take place immediately and may be subject to certain conditions.
Esper emphasised that Ukraine is waging war against a state with a significantly larger army, an economy roughly ten times the size of Ukraine’s, and a population approximately four times as large. According to him, despite this, the Ukrainian military has managed not only to halt the Russian offensive but also to effectively bring the war to a stalemate.
‘Ukraine is fighting an army that is many times larger in terms of numbers. The aggressor state has an economy that is roughly ten times larger and a population that is approximately four times that of Ukraine. Despite this, the Ukrainians have not only halted the Russian offensive but have effectively brought the war to a stalemate. So if the question is whether Ukraine will strengthen NATO’s security, the answer is unequivocally yes,” said Esper.
The former Pentagon chief also noted that the Ukrainian military have become pioneers in the field of unmanned warfare, counter-drone operations, and the development of new tactics and military doctrine. In his view, the US military has much to learn from Ukraine.
