The Ukrainians have put up stronger resistance to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invading forces than expected – and the West could influence the war decisively in favor of Ukraine by now supplying its fighters with heavy weapons, according to experts. But to help Ukraine prevail, the United States must take the lead over its NATO allies because of its global prestige and vast military resources, said Dalibor Rohac, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC. “In the short term, if the Ukrainians want to win this war, there is no one like the United States who can do that,” Rohac told The Post. “My main message is just to do more,” Rohac said. “Send the Ukrainians whatever they ask, do not be afraid of Putin and he can really lose this war.” The West could influence the pro-Ukraine war by supplying its fighters with heavy weapons, some experts say. Scott Peterson / Getty Images NATO has pledged to send more weapons to help with the conflict on Thursday amid growing reports of Russian atrocities and atrocities against civilians in Ukraine. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said the images and reports of the invading force tactics make the Biden administration “generally looking at now not only what we provide and what we continue to provide, but whether there are additional systems that could I make the difference.” John Herbst, who served as U.S. ambassador to Ukraine from 2003 to 2006, told The Post that the government had “frightened itself” by worrying too much that it might take steps that would be seen as provoking Russia and leading in nuclear confrontation. “I do not think American troops should shoot Russians in Russia, and in fact I do not claim that US troops are fighting the war in Ukraine,” Herbst said. “But I do not think that all the weapons we can provide to Ukraine are going to cause Putin to shoot us.” New York Democrat Gregory Micks, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, supports the provision of additional weapons, including longer-range anti-aircraft missile systems, a commission spokesman said in an email. However, some NATO countries are reluctant to supply weapons that would be considered offensive rather than defensive. Other concerns have been raised about arming Ukrainians with modern high-tech weapons, which they have not been properly trained to use. Members of the Territorial Defense Force of Ukraine learn how to use weapons during a training on March 9, 2022, in Kyiv. Andriy Dubchak / dia images via Getty Images Retired General Wesley Clark wrote in an article published in The Post Friday that there was little time to lose to give the Ukrainian forces hundreds of thousands of artillery shells, tanks and MiG and Sukhoi aircraft. “Why? Because there is a window of opportunity now – for maybe a week or two – in which Ukraine can counterattack north, south and east to drive out Russian forces. This will require mobile armored forces and air power.” “And if this window is lost, the future is darker and more uncertain,” Clark wrote. A Ukrainian victory could push Russia out of the country once and for all, putting Putin on his heels and forcing him to think twice about further conflicts in Georgia, Moldova and elsewhere, Clark said. Russia’s failure in Ukraine will also put a stop to China if it decides to start new military conflicts over its borders, the article wrote. There is a critical window in the coming weeks, military and political experts said. Russia has resumed its attacks in eastern Ukraine, in the Donbas region, after experiencing difficulties in some northern cities – and there are fears that the intensity of the upcoming attack could turn the tide in Moscow’s favor. Retired General Wesley Clark wrote that there is little time to waste to give offensive weapons to Ukrainian forces. AFP via Getty Images A pro-Russian fighter near Donetsk. Russia is refocusing its attacks on eastern Ukraine in the Donbas region. AFP via Getty Images But even if the attack were launched, Putin could agree to a ceasefire by mid-May with a concession such as the annexation of part of the Donbass area that would allow him to declare the operation a success, Rohak told The Post. The Biden government built its initial arms procurement policies on the assumption that Ukraine would be largely overcome and that the resistance would be mainly guerrilla fighters in the occupied territories, he added. But the US must adapt now the outlook for war has changed. “The Ukrainians have a decent opportunity to really drive the Russians out of Ukraine completely, and that, for us, would be a priority to have that result.” Kiev residents received basic weapons training on February 20, 2022. AFP via Getty Images Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) Said Biden was “more or less careful” about Ukraine. “We have to give the Ukrainians everything they want,” he told Fox News on Friday. “They have shown that they have the will to fight, the ability to fight and our goal must be victory.” McConnell said there was “no doubt” that Putin’s forces had committed war crimes – as he called for more than just a US discussion. “Of course, Putin is not going to be discouraged if he is called a war criminal,” McConnell said. “It will be prevented on the battlefield. And so what we have to do is give (the Ukrainians) every useful weapon they ask for and need to defeat the Russians.” With Post cables
