Photo courtesy of Yonhap News
As the Ukrainian War, which began as a result of the Russian invasion, continued for about four months, the leaders of the western camps began to talk about the expression ‘a long war’.
“We have to be prepared for the fact that war can take years,” said Jens Stoltenberg, NATO secretary general, in an interview with German media outlet Bild am Sontak.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson also expressed his concerns about a long-term war, saying, “I am afraid that we will have to train ourselves for a long war.”
After returning from Kiiu, Ukraine on the 17th, he said, “I am concerned about the ‘Ukrainian fatigue’ that has started to take hold in the world. It is very important to show that we will be with Ukraine for a long time.”
Even Prime Minister Johnson, who is the strongest supporter of Ukraine among Western leaders, is conscious of the ‘fatigue’ that the war continues.
New British Army commander-in-chief Patrick Sanders also recently sent a letter of command to the military, saying, “We must be prepared to fight in Europe once again.”
These comments reflected the prospect that NATO would support Ukraine with advanced weapon systems, including multiple rocket systems, but it would be difficult for Ukraine to win quickly, contrary to expectations, the British daily Guardian analyzed.
Western leaders have also emphasized the need for long-term support for Ukraine despite the many economic woes fueled by the war, including energy shortages and inflation.
“If Putin succeeds and Russian forces occupy much of Ukraine’s territory, the West will pay much higher prices for Russian fuel,” Stoltenberg said.
“The cost of supporting military equipment is rising and energy and food prices are rising, but the long-term cost of helping Ukraine is justified,” he said.
“It is necessary to preserve the viability of the country as a nation, whether by running schools in Ukraine, providing relief funds, or providing financial support to start rebuilding projects,” Johnson said.
The British weekly The Economist recently diagnosed that the Ukrainian army’s death toll ratio is comparable to that of some battles in World War II, and the Russian army also suffers that much loss of troops.
