In the flames of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the war situation changed abruptly, the Ukrainian army collapsed, and Russia quickly regained the initiative. Recently, in the Kremlin, Putin met with the recipient of the medal "Hero of Russia", profoundly pointing out that Ukraine has "exhausted all war resources", and Ukrainian Zelensky is in a desperate situation.
Putin has made it clear that Russia's self-sufficiency gives it solid resources for war, while Ukraine, by contrast, has neither an independent military-industrial base nor sufficient financial funds, and is doomed to be overshadowed on the battlefield if external support is cut off. Deputy Chairman Medvedev added that the capabilities of the Russian defense industry have reached the highest level since the end of the Great Patriotic War, demonstrating the great strength of the Russian army.
And with the reduction of Western military aid, the Ukrainian army is in an extreme predicament, unable to launch**, and even struggling to resist the Russian offensive. The United Kingdom, although it has not pledged financial support to Ukraine, has provided Ukraine with two ** ships in its latest decision to support Ukraine's mine clearance efforts in the Black Sea. The decision may be an attempt by the UK to maintain its image of support, but it is undoubtedly a sign of the West's deep concern about Ukraine's plight.
Western countries have expressed their support for Ukraine, but the actual aid is far less than the rhetoric. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his firm support for Ukraine in an interview and stressed that he would work with his allies to "safeguard Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity." This statement may be an attempt to stabilize the West's position on Ukraine, but at the same time, Germany's own armaments are being questioned.
Germany's military situation is worrisome, the operation of the main equipment of the air force and navy is sluggish, only five of the navy's 13 main missile frigates can go to sea at any time, and the air force's "Typhoon" fighters are also facing varying degrees of trouble. Some may question the true enforceability of Germany's pledge of support, or even worry about the military resolve in its rhetoric.
In the face of Ukraine's plight, Western countries may have expressed strong support in words, but in reality, their support is more in rhetorical statements than in substantive assistance. Although the two ** ships provided by the United Kingdom will help Ukraine clear mines at sea, they are obviously only a drop in the bucket compared to Russia's strong strength. Germany's firm stance may be motivated by political necessity, but the real state of its military power is worrying.
Overall, Ukraine is facing a dire dilemma, and Western support has clearly failed to counter Russia's growing power. While the verbal support from Western countries is encouraging, the lack of actual aid is also worrying, especially at a time when Ukrainian forces are struggling. In the current situation, Ukraine's defeat will not only be a failure for its own country, but also a severe test of Western values.