So far, Ukrainian soldiers have had to get help over the phone for minor repairs to military equipment. Ex-US officer Vindman now wants to send up to 200 mechanics to the Ukrainian front. The former Trump adviser advocates maximum conventional deterrence.
Since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion almost a year ago, the democratic alliance has shipped thousands of weapon systems to Eastern Europe. The artillery, for example, which Ukraine uses to defend itself, has so far been one, if not the, decisive element for the stamina of its army. Most recently, this became clear once again when she distributed cluster mines that stopped a Russian tank advance on the city of Wuhledar.
Weapons require maintenance, and the Ukrainian Armed Forces sometimes lack the skills and manpower to carry them out on their own. Now a former member of the US National Security Council wants to get involved himself. Ex-Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman is leading a group of former officers and private individuals who want to use donations to send international mechanics to the front lines to repair weapons and vehicles.
"Give us your weapons and Ukraine will repeat what is ours," President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed to the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January. "Crimea is our country, our territory." Whether recaptures can succeed also depends on how effectively the Ukrainian army uses these weapons. These include armored personnel carriers and mobile artillery. Various heavy battle tanks will be added in the coming months.
Currently, Ukrainian soldiers can call US forces in Poland for minor repairs and maintenance. In order to be able to solve larger problems on site more quickly, up to 200 experienced contract mechanics are to travel to Ukraine, the ex-military officials have planned. They are to help and train Ukrainian units near the front in small groups. The first pilot crew of Vindman's Trident Support project is scheduled to fly into action in March. It is unclear whether sufficient funds are already available for further deployments of mechanics.
Vindman was born in Ukraine and came to the United States as a child. He had a meteoric career in the US Army. Under ex-President Donald Trump, he shared responsibility for Europe on the National Security Council. He was on the line when Trump made the infamous phone call to Zelenskyy and tied US military aid to conditions designed to help the Republican in his election campaign. The incident led to the first impeachment trial, in which Vindman testified against Trump. He then kicked him out of the Security Council. Vindman retired from the military because of threats and bullying.
In the Ukraine war, Vindman advocated maximum conventional deterrence. He suggested providing Ukraine with all the military equipment needed for a major counter-offensive. So the Russian President Vladimir Putin should be forced to the negotiating table. In a poll, an overwhelming majority of Ukrainians said they would only agree to a ceasefire in the event of a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukrainian territory, including Crimea.
According to Vindman, a war beyond this year and a bloody final standoff over Crimea can only be prevented if Kiev is given the capability to invade the peninsula. According to this logic, the current path of gradually increasing support is counterproductive. Vindman traveled to Ukraine in June and consulted with the military leadership and politicians there. "I'm in the Ukrainian war zone because I think I can help," he tweeted at the time.
The ex-officer calls the conflict in Ukraine the "most important geopolitical event of the past and possibly the next 20 years". He is concerned that Ukraine will eventually run out of military breath as it wears down. "Trident Support" is intended to counteract this. "Various types of resources are mainly delivered to camps and bases in Poland, and in Ukraine they are pretty much on their own," Vindman is quoted as saying by Politico.
The initiators estimate that the "Trident Support" project will take around 12 to 18 months to complete. According to Vindman, the intention behind it is "philanthropic", but could change into a business model if the US government still steps in. With its private involvement, the group circumvents the US government, which does not want to send its own technical support staff to Ukraine.
The mechanics could take care of maintenance and repairs in up to six positions along the front. This is to reduce the risk of them being fired upon by Russia's drones and artillery. It is anyway a logistical challenge to transport material from Poland to Ukraine because of the ongoing fighting and infrastructure.
The private project would not be a direct participation of the USA, according to Vindman, no US citizens should be involved. There are many potential contractors with other nationalities who have experience with US and other NATO countries' weapons systems. Poles and Czechs are already traveling across the borders to help the Ukrainian troops. And, as Vindman knows, Kiev welcomes any support with open arms.
