Russia's lightning war in Ukraine has failed and is now a resource war - ambassador

RIGA - Russia's lightning war in Ukraine has failed, and now it is a resource war, Latvian Ambassador to Ukraine Ilgvars Klava told Latvian Television last night.

He pointed out that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has been stopped, the Ukrainians have managed to recapture some territory, but probably to a lesser extent than they had wanted in the summer. The war has now entered a protracted phase and has become a resource war. Klava noted that a change of approach is needed - mobilization of resources on the Ukrainian side and a reorganization of the mobilization system. These are issues that are on the agenda of the Ukrainian Parliament.

The Ambassador said that Ukraine is a democratic country and President Volodymyr Zelensky respects the opinion of the Ukrainian people - the President will not accept compromises on any peace that involves ceding territories to Russia or leaving occupied territories under Russian control.

"One narrative that dominates the Ukrainian information space is that Russia cannot be trusted. Russia has violated most of the agreements and treaties that it itself has signed. The view in Ukraine is that any ceasefire, any peace agreement, will be used by Russia to get a breather and prepare for the next attack on Ukraine," said Klava.

According to Latvian Ambassador to NATO Maris Riekstins, US President Joe Biden has also expressed the view that Ukraine must defeat Russian aggression. He said that over the past two tragic years, NATO has almost unanimously supported Ukraine's efforts - military supplies must continue, areas of additional need have been defined, including, for example, artillery shells, which are in short supply in Ukraine.

"We see that on the Russian side there are also not enough artillery shells. If everything was as brilliant as Kremlin propagandists, officials, including [Russian President Vladimir] Putin, say, then Russia would not be looking for artillery shells in North Korea and would not be looking for drones in Iran. Yes, this war has entered the phase of resource sufficiency. Ukraine's ability to regain the territories Russia still occupies will depend on how quickly the West can deliver the next aid packages," Riekstins said.

He pointed out that the vast majority of NATO members believe that this is not just a story about Ukraine. It is a story about security in Europe and beyond Europe's borders, about how the final outcome of the conflict will affect the security architecture, because it will affect every European country and NATO member.