Former U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper has described Ukraine as the most combat-capable and experienced army in Europe, noting that Ukrainians have effectively brought Russia's war to a stalemate while becoming innovators in modern warfare.
He made the remarks in an interview with Independence Avenue Media, Ukrinform reports.
Asked about Ukraine's membership in NATO, Esper said that the most important step at present is to send a clear signal that would reassure other NATO allies, strengthen Ukraine's position, and further deter Russia. Given concerns about Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia, he suggested an approach under which the temporarily occupied territories would not initially be covered by NATO security guarantees, or alternatively, that Ukraine could join the Alliance with certain conditions or after a transitional period.
Esper also stated that Ukraine's military is unquestionably the most combat-capable and experienced force in Europe today.
Esper said that Ukraine was fighting against an army that was many times larger in terms of personnel. He noted that the aggressor state had an economy roughly ten times larger and a population about four times greater than Ukraine's. Despite this, he said, Ukrainians had not only stopped the Russian offensive but had effectively brought the war to a stalemate. He added that if the question was whether Ukraine would strengthen NATO's security, the answer was unequivocally yes.
