Security expert Christian Mölling has advocated supplying Ukraine with long-range artillery rockets so that it can cut the lines of communication between Crimea and Russia. Mölling said on Friday in the stern podcast “Ukraine – the situation” that the railway line from Donbass to the south was “the only reasonably well-functioning logistical connection”. Destroying it would have serious consequences: “If you manage to interrupt this lifeline, then – the word says it all – life comes to an end in military terms.”
The research director of the German Council on Foreign Relations explained that without supplies and ammunition in the affected part of Ukraine, Russian troops had no choice but to surrender or retreat. Destroying the rail link could be “achieved relatively easily by giving the Ukrainians a limited number of rocket artillery shells.” Namely those with a greater range than those previously supplied. In this way, the rail connection could be rendered unusable “and thus the possibility of success could be significantly increased”.
Mölling was convinced that Ukraine would have to be secured militarily even after the war was over. However, he does not expect Ukraine to join NATO quickly and showed understanding for concerns about security guarantees from the West, which have already failed in the past. Mölling believes that Ukraine’s NATO membership would provoke a Russian reaction. “Credibility will be tested by Russia from day one,” he said.
Nevertheless, there are very different reasons for securing Ukraine militarily. One of them is to prevent Ukraine from trying to get nuclear weapons itself. “Ukraine’s accession to NATO may also be accession to prevent further proliferation of nuclear weapons,” warned the expert. “From Ukraine’s point of view, there is currently genocide against the Ukrainian people. We have an example in history in which this was also the case. And the solution of the State of Israel is to arm itself with nuclear weapons.” A historical parallel could be drawn here that would lead to the conclusion: “It is completely logical that the only way for Moscow to take it seriously is to arm myself with nuclear weapons, which at least give me the opportunity to destroy Moscow in to lay rubble and ashes.” Mölling conceded that it was not clear whether the Ukrainians had the means and the means to arm themselves with nuclear weapons. But: “One of the overriding lessons from the conflict is: This is about survival, that’s where you get creative.”
