Mölling: NATO medics could support the Ukrainian army

Podcast “The Situation – International”
Mölling considers the deployment of NATO medical soldiers in Ukraine to be conceivable

According to security expert Christian Mölling, medical soldiers from NATO states such as Estonia could directly support the Ukrainian armed forces

In Ukraine, according to the security expert Christian Mölling Medical soldiers from NATO states such as Estonia are deployed to support the fight against Russian troops. Mölling said on Friday star-Podcast “The situation – international”, the Ukrainians would have to fight alone – but soldiers from other countries could also do everything else. “I think that is a sensible consideration in principle,” said the research director of the German Society for Foreign Policy on plans, for example, sending medical units. In addition to Estland, other states that feel particularly threatened by Russia would also make such considerations – despite the risk to their own soldiers.

Shooting by NATO soldiers is also conceivable

“It is of course possible that Estonian soldiers may come under fire, for example from long-range missiles,” emphasized the expert. “The fact that Estonian NATO soldiers die is part of the risk.” However, this would not immediately trigger the alliance , which obliges the other members of the alliance to assist. Supporting an attacked state by medics is permissible under international law.

“How involved are we?”

Despite such considerations, Mölling does not see NATO on a path that will gradually turn it into a warring party. “I don’t see any salami tactics,” he emphasized. However, Mölling criticized the fact that in the past Ukraine had always received too late and then too little support. In his opinion, this limits the options for action. “This could mean that in six months or a year we will be faced with the question: How involved are we?” he said. He mentioned Western aircraft shooting down Russian missiles or drones as a possible option for greater involvement. Defending against unmanned missiles is explicitly not about killing Russian soldiers.

According to Mölling, the Russian advance in the Kharkiv region would have been made significantly more difficult if Ukraine had already been able to use American missiles against the attackers’ collection areas on Russian territory. But the USA rejects this. The British have now lifted such restrictions for the systems they supply. “There are indications that the Americans are also leaning in this direction,” said Mölling.