Retired German General Erhard Bühler argues that Ukraine requires not only air defense systems, but also Western fighter jets, Bild reports. Bühler, a former commander of NATO forces in Kosovo, criticized the German government for the inadequate equipment provided to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Bühler emphasized that Ukrainian forces lack sufficient ammunition, armored vehicles, combat tanks, and armored personnel carriers in their fight against Russian occupiers. He pointed out that this is partly due to the German government’s slow decision-making, saying, “It has not allowed options for action to be prepared, even multinationally, that is, that people sit down together and discuss: what if we have to send tanks at short notice? That has all been prevented.”
The retired general urges for significantly faster delivery of Western military aid to Ukraine, specifically combat aircraft. “Ukraine needs more ammunition for air defense as well as fighter aircraft,” he stated, referring to American F-16s, which are widely available worldwide and have a sufficient supply of spare parts. Bühler emphasizes that F-16s are “just an example,” with the ultimate goal being to enable Ukrainians to independently secure their country in the long term.
Ukraine’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Andrii Melnyk, has also called for a tenfold increase in Western military aid on Twitter, asserting that the current level of support is not enough to end Russian aggression this year. Melnyk said, “We are grateful to our allies for their military assistance. But that’s not enough. Ukraine needs ten times more to end Russian aggression this year.”
So far, all allies have provided a total of 55 billion US dollars, but both Bühler and Melnyk argue that this is insufficient to support Ukraine effectively in its struggle against Russian forces.
