NEW DELHI/PARIS, April 23 (NNN-AGENCIES) — UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there may be no swift end to the conflict in Ukraine because of the stiff resistance to Russia’s invasion.
Asked if he agreed with defence intelligence assessments that fighting could drag on until the end of next year, he told reporters: “The sad thing is that is a realistic possibility.”
Johnson, on a two-day visit to India to boost bilateral ties, said Russia’s Vladimir Putin had made a “catastrophic blunder” in ordering the invasion.
“The only option he now has really is to continue to try to use his appalling grinding approach,” he added.
But he paid tribute to the Ukrainian resistance, and outlined planned and potential military support for the country and its neighbours.
Johnson said a “realistic” negotiation to end the conflict “doesn’t seem likely at the present time” but Europe and Ukraine itself would eventually need to discuss future security arrangements.
“What the Ukrainians want, and I think are now going to get, is a collection of security guarantees from like-minded countries, security commitments about what we can do to back them up,” he added.
That could include weaponry, training and intelligence sharing to potentially allow Ukraine to prevent future Russian attacks.
Meanwhile, France is sending several heavy artillery pieces to Ukraine, President Emmanuel Macron said, as growing numbers of Western nations contribute heavier arms to Kyiv following the Russian invasion.
“We are delivering significant equipment, from Milan (anti-tank missiles) to Caesar (self-propelled howitzers),” Macron told regional newspaper Ouest-France.
“I think we have to continue on this route. Always with the red line that we will not become parties to the conflict.”
Defence Minister Florence Parly confirmed on Twitter that France would send “several Caesar artillery cannons and thousands of shells”.
Built by partly state-owned arms maker Nexter, the Caesar is a 155mm howitzer mounted on a six-wheeled truck chassis, capable of firing shells at ranges of more than 40 kilometres.
Macron’s Elysee Palace office said that the anti-tank missiles had already been delivered, while the howitzers would move “in the coming days”.
Around 40 Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in France on the weapons’ use from Saturday, the presidency said.
Ukrainian officials including President Volodymyr Zelensky have repeatedly implored European and NATO powers to provide heavier weapons, especially artillery, as Russia launches a fresh assault on its neighbour’s east.
Although some countries like the US have been quick to respond, others — notably EU heavyweight Germany — fear further antagonising Moscow by delivering more powerful arms for Ukraine.
“There is no textbook for this situation where you can look up at what point we will be seen as party to the conflict,” Chancellor Olaf Scholz said.
But he added that Europe’s top economy would replace Soviet-made weapons sent to Ukraine from eastern NATO and EU allies, including Slovenia, with new, German-made ones.
