Ukraine lacks ammunition – expert Mölling sees the West as having a duty

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“The location – international”
Military expert Mölling accuses the West of “denial of responsibility” in Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers fire a howitzer in eastern Ukraine (archive photo)

© Ukrinform / DPA

Stefan Schmitz

The Ukrainians are running out of ammunition at the front – for which, in the opinion of DGAP research director Christian Mölling, the country’s European supporters are particularly responsible.

The military expert Christian Mölling has accused the West of not fulfilling its aid promises to Ukraine. The Ukrainian armed forces’ ammunition shortage is dramatic, Mölling warned on Friday star-Podcast “The situation – international”. “The Ukrainians can only fire very, very few shots,” he said of the situation at the front. Instead of 10,000 shells as before, they could only fire 2,000 per day. “The Ukrainians are now losing land.” They would have to retreat to reach more defensible positions. This has serious consequences, because “what Ukraine has already recaptured from its own country, it must now give up and, in effect, conquer a second time.” To do this, they not only need ammunition, but also people. The research director of the German Society for Foreign Policy described this as “absurd”. The situation at the front has been clear to everyone for a long time. Meanwhile, awareness is also growing in the western capitals and in Brussels. “But until help comes, we will see a lot of bad pictures that are because our help is not enough,” he said.

Nothing is produced for Ukraine without an order

Mölling rejected Defense Minister Boris Pistorius’ argument that the defense industry in particular needed time to adapt to the new situation. “That’s a pretty helpless excuse,” said Mölling. “We’ve already had all of that.” Without the government and its orders, no arms production could get started. “You have to have an order first,” he said. There’s already a lot of time has been lost. And there is still a lack of willingness in Europe to “start the engine”. It is also necessary to take precautions in one’s own interest. Mölling asked: “What happens if Ukraine is destabilized even further and ultimately also the Europe’s security is in danger?”

Despite all the criticism of the West’s efforts, Mölling also pointed out that the Russian regime is facing great difficulties. For its arms efforts, it needs the help of its “dark friends” in North Korea and Iran, for example. “The question of how good the Russian arms industry is has not yet been decided,” said Mölling.

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