NATO forces in Ukraine? “They are not ready” [PODCAST]

NATO forces in Ukraine would manage? – “There are no helicopters for evacuation here. Sometimes the wounded have to wait for several hours before being transported to a stabilization point. The West is not prepared for modern warfare. The fight is not against guerrillas, but against skilled killers,” says Volodymyr Huliuk, a combat medic from the 30th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in an interview with Postpravda.Info. His unit has been holding the front near Bakhmut for over two years.

What else is in this episode?

• Is Donald Trump a hope for Kyiv or a harbinger of defeat?
• How many deserters are there in the Ukrainian Armed Forces?
• Do soldiers in the Ukrainian army still have the motivation to fight?
• Why would NATO forces in Ukraine not be prepared for a confrontation with Russia?
• What about Polish-Ukrainian relations? The Volhynian Massacre still divides Poles and Ukrainians.
• Mieroszewski Center Report: Poles on Ukraine and Polish-Ukrainian relations in 2024
• What’s next with the war in Ukraine?
• ZRZUTKA for the 30th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Donald Trump, Ukraine, and Russia

The Meduza portal and other Ukrainian media recently published alleged plans by the United States to end the war in Ukraine. Among the proposals are, among others, Kyiv’s renouncement of claims to occupied territories and the abandonment of diplomatic and military attempts to regain them in the future. President Volodymyr Zelensky would have to revoke the decree banning negotiations with Russia, concede on Ukraine’s NATO membership, and delay EU accession until 2030. Peace negotiations with these assumptions were supposed to begin at the turn of February and March, with the goal of organizing a peace summit in April involving Russia, the USA, and Ukraine. A ceasefire would be announced for Easter, and peace on May 9, Russia’s Victory Day over Nazism during World War II.

Are these really the plans of Donald Trump and his administration, or rather Russian disinformation carried out by special services? At this point, we don’t know. However, it is certain that the new U.S. government recently halted funding for foreign projects, including those operating in Ukraine. For now, only civilian projects have been affected, to be reviewed within 90 days. Military aid continues to reach Kyiv. Is there hope in Trump?

– Personally, I was negative towards his presidency, but many of my colleagues saw in him a hope for Ukraine. Now, I also see him a bit that way. Because without U.S. aid, it would have been much harder for us to resist Russia. A person is always looking for hope, and Trump is also a hope that this will all end. Would I personally want a frozen conflict? A second Korea in Ukraine? On one hand, yes, but on the other, I understand the risks. Agreements signed with Russia are worthless – comments our interviewee.

In his opinion, the biggest problem with the Ukrainian army has long been people. The lack of new soldiers and the significant thinning of old units is taking its toll on Ukraine at the front, and mobilization is not progressing as ideally as one would hope. – Of course, there are ways to force a soldier to fight, even if they don’t want to, but there is a rate of desertion. In our unit, there aren’t many cases like that, but I can’t say there are none. As for the so-called “dodgers,” those who avoid defending the homeland, on one hand, I understand why they do it because there isn’t the same enthusiasm as there was in 2022, but on the other, I don’t know how I’ll look my friends in the eye after the war, those who didn’t pick up arms and are hiding from conscription – says the soldier.

NATO forces in Ukraine

– I’ve attended many NATO medical training courses, and I can say that they don’t align with modern warfare. NATO forces in Ukraine would have to make significant adjustments to their procedures. The dream of evacuating a wounded soldier within an hour, of a helicopter arriving to pick them up, is a scenario suited for fighting guerrillas, militias, not possible in a conventional war with another trained adversary. We know what the Russians are doing, and the Russians know what we are doing – states a medic from the 30th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

– We have the proper equipment, there are drones monitoring the entire front. A helicopter would be immediately destroyed. In reality, evacuating the wounded takes several hours. That’s why there are so many cases of amputations because usually, if surgery isn’t performed within 120 minutes, it’s no longer possible to save the limbs. We often conduct evacuations in the morning or at night. We have to wait until then to ensure the entire team survives – explains Volodymyr Huliuk.

The 30th Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces defended industrial plants near Toretsk, later fought near Soledar, and for nearly two years has been holding the front lines protecting access to Donbas from the Bakhmut side. Part of the brigade is also fighting near Kupiansk. It is one of the most experienced units in the Ukrainian army.

– Of course, there are elite, new units like the 3rd Assault Brigade, the 47th Brigade, or one of the youngest, the 31st Brigade. These are well-trained units equipped with modern equipment. We are fortunate to have good leadership. Many of the guys who started fighting, just like I did, on February 24, 2022, are now in leadership positions. They know the war inside and out, and that’s what keeps us going.

We also asked Volodymyr Huliuk, who spent 10 years guiding Polish tourists in the Chernobyl zone, about his views on Poles and Poland in the context of the latest report by the Mieroszewski Center: “Poles on Ukraine and Polish-Ukrainian Relations 2024.”

– Of course, the Russians do everything they can to spoil our relations, but I am incredibly grateful to Poland for its help. It’s been huge. Many of my friends from Poland have delivered, and continue to deliver, lots of essential equipment, and sometimes just something that brings joy. For Christmas, I received a package that included borscht and pudding. When I eat it, sometimes those are the best moments of my day.

– Of course, there are many painful historical events between our nations. Ukrainians still have this need to explain ourselves. We don’t want anyone to speak badly about us. But the war has changed this a bit, and Poles who expect full agreement from us regarding Volhynia are not open at all to understanding our perspective. I don’t know why that’s so difficult. I believe, and I think most Ukrainians agree, that exhumations in Volhynia should be carried out, and the victims should be buried with the proper respect, but this should apply to all victims, including those resting in Polish soil. The deceased have the same right to respect – comments our interviewee in the PostPravda.Info interview about Polish-Ukrainian relations.