Russia is now engaged in “a war against NATO and the West,” the European Union’s defense chief said yesterday as Canada became the 12th country to send tanks to Ukraine.
Stefano Sannino, the secretary-general of the EU’s External Action Service, suggested that Vladimir Putin had left behind his initial “special military operation” and “brought the war to another stage.”
Mr Sannino spoke as Canada became the last country to pledge tanks and Poland said it would give an additional 60 to the 14 it has already pledged for the war effort.
Spain and Norway are expected to announce in the coming days how many Leopard 2s they will send to Ukraine.
Russia tested dreaded Sarmat ‘Satan 2’ missile in April last year as nuclear threat remains high
The Kremlin test launches an ‘unstoppable’ nuclear Zircon hypersonic missile from Admiral Gorshkov
Stefano Sannino (pictured), the secretary-general of the EU’s external action service, suggested that Vladimir Putin “took the war to another stage”
Belgium announced a new package of military aid, promising cash, missiles, machine guns and armored vehicles, but admitting it has no main battle tanks to match the offers of its NATO allies.
Ukraine is also seeking fourth-generation Western fighter jets such as the US F-16, though this remains an unlikely prospect.
Sannino said Ukraine’s allies had been forced to increase and upgrade their military support to Kiev in response to Moscow shifting the focus of the war to the West.
Speaking to reporters in Tokyo, he said, “I think this latest development in terms of armed supplies is just an evolution of the situation and the way Russia has moved the war to another stage.”
Putin (pictured yesterday) has stepped up his efforts to breach Ukraine’s defenses with heavy fighting in the east of the country
The specter of nuclear war looms over the world after the West delivered state-of-the-art tanks to Ukraine, angering Vladimir Putin
He added that Russia carried out “indiscriminate attacks” on civilians and cities. The country was desperate to gain momentum on the battlefields of eastern Ukraine before the western tank squadrons arrived.
In the past 48 hours, Moscow’s troops have been trying to break through Ukrainian front lines in the Donbas region. From Thursday night to yesterday morning, Russia also subjected Ukrainian cities to more bombings.
About 47 of the 59 missiles were intercepted, but 11 people are reported to have been killed in explosions caused by the Russian ammunition entering Ukraine’s air defense systems. Russia also launched 37 airstrikes.
In response to the delivery of Western tanks to Ukraine, Russia accused US President Joe Biden of “pumping weapons into the country” when he could broker a ceasefire.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also said the promised delivery of Western tanks to Ukraine was evidence of the growing “direct involvement” of the United States and Europe in the war. Western allies deployed about 150 tanks. Peskov said: “There are constant statements from European capitals and Washington DC that sending various weapon systems to Ukraine, including tanks, in no way diminishes the involvement of these countries or the [Nato] alliance in hostilities in Ukraine.
After weeks of hesitation, Germany finally agreed to supply Ukraine with Leopard 2 tanks (pictured)
Local residents remove rubble from their neighbor’s house damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine
A woman takes photos with her mobile phone next to destroyed houses after Russian missile attacks
“We strongly disagree with this, and in Moscow everything [they’re doing] is seen as a direct involvement. We see this growing.’ North Korea also condemned the US decision to supply Ukraine with tanks, saying Washington was escalating a sinister “proxy war” aimed at destroying Moscow.
Meanwhile, Hungary, which is a NATO member and EU state, suggested Western countries have “drift” to become active participants in the conflict.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been widely condemned for alleged attempts to reduce democratic freedoms in Hungary, said the West should aim for “a ceasefire and peace talks” rather than arming Ukraine.
He added: “It started with the Germans saying they were willing to send helmets, but they wouldn’t send deadly aid because that represented participation in the conflict.
A German-made Leopard tank is pictured during exercises in Canada and will soon be deployed to the battlefield
Ukrainian soldiers were seen yesterday at their mortar position on the frontline of Donbass
“Now we’re at main battle tanks and discussing airplanes.” Hungary has refused to send arms to Ukraine and has boosted the Kremlin’s treasury by buying Russian gas, oil and nuclear fuel.
When asked if Hungary would become more involved, Mr Orban said: ‘This is out of the question as long as I am prime minister.
‘But the others [other European countries] have already been wiped out. If you send weapons, no matter what you say, you’re at war.’
It comes as Ukraine is establishing drone strike companies within its armed forces in a joint venture with billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite communications company.
Kiev announced yesterday that it has signed a deal with Starlink satellite communications, which is operated by Musk’s SpaceX organization.
Ukraine wants to develop a futuristic army of drones to launch attacks behind Russian lines. In a statement on its Facebook page yesterday, Starlink said “the most professional” [Ukrainian] soldiers’ have been chosen to lead the assault companies which will be equipped with unmanned aerial vehicles and explosives.
Starlink added, “We are doing everything we can to provide soldiers with modern technologies.”
Unmanned aerial vehicles have already played a vital role on both sides since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Moscow has used hundreds of Iranian-made “suicide drones” to attack Ukrainian cities, while Kiev’s armed forces have used drones to drop small explosives on Russian troops and track their movements.
Ukrainian soldiers ride on a Soviet-era T-72 tank, widely used in the ongoing conflict, in the Donetsk region, January 20
An APC drive threw the recaptured town of Lyman in the Donetsk region yesterday at a key moment in the war