Nato's chief has hinted that the alliance could provide a major boost to Ukraine’s fighting power by sending its most modern tanks to the frontline.
Jens Stoltenberg also stated that following Russia’s aggression it was a “brutal reality” that western countries now had to invest in defence over education and health services.
In a keynote speech at the annual Berlin Security Conference, Nato’s secretary general warned that Europe had to wean itself off a “dangerous dependency” on Russian energy.
With Ukraine’s forces seeking to capitalise on the capture of the strategic city of Kherson last month, its military is planning to continue their counter-offensive to retake more territory.
A key area will be the Kherson region, south of the Dnipro river which Russia has heavily defended with a triple line of trenches and tank traps.
However, these are understood to be vulnerable to mobile armoured forces flanking them in broad swathes of countryside to either side.
The German-made Leopard 2 tank, that has seen action in Syria with Turkey’s forces, would prove highly effective in punching through Russian lines.
Mr Stoltenberg was asked about a proposal put forward by the European Council on Foreign Relations think-tank that urges the 13 Nato and European countries equipped with the Leopard 2 to supply at least 100 to Ukraine.
“We have delivered a lot of advanced weapon systems and we see that this is making a huge difference on the battlefield every day,” Mr Stoltenberg responded.
“I will not go into the exact specifics of the types of weapons we are considering but allies are constantly considering different types of weapons. We are also in close dialogue with Ukraine.”
Military experts believe that if Ukraine was equipped with the most recent Leopard tanks, such as the 2A6 version, this would prove to be a major boost to their battlefield capability.
“So much depends on what types might be sent, the ammunition supplied and how much support is given to operate and maintain them,” said Sam Cranny-Evans of the Royal United Services Institute think-tank.
“A basic Leopard 2A4 might not be great against a modern T-72/90M for example but the more modern types such as the A5 or A6 are very, very capable with significantly improved armour and main gun.”
Mr Stoltenberg also insisted western countries should provide even more support to defeat Russia, urging them to prioritise defence spending.
“Of course, it's always nicer to invest in health, infrastructure and education but when there is a fully-fledged war going on in Ukraine, the way to save life is to give them ammunition, to give them air defence and that's the brutal reality, like it or not.”
He added that opinion polls showed that people understood this.
“The reality is that the only way to sustain peace is to invest in defence and, rest assured, we are working hard on that,” he said.
He specifically urged Germany “to stay the course in Ukraine” and with other Nato allies “to further strengthen our collective defence”.
“These are tough times for many around the world, including here in Germany with rising costs of living, food and energy prices, but the price we pay is in money, while the price the Ukrainians pay is in blood,” he said.
The war had also shown how countries like Germany had a “dangerous dependency on Russian gas”. He advised Berlin and other European states to “be aware of our dependencies, reduce our vulnerabilities and manage the risks”.
But he also urged greater dialogue with Russia adding that a Nato hotline to Moscow had proven to be a significant help after a missile landed in Poland, killing two civilians.
“We need to continue to engage with Russia on issues like arms control,” he said.
“Russia has walked away from the meaningful dialogue, but we need a minimum of a contact.”
The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE
Price, base / as tested Dh274,000 (estimate)
Engine 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder
Gearbox Nine-speed automatic
Power 245hp @ 4,200rpm
Torque 500Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
In numbers
Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m
Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’ in Dubai is worth... $600m
China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn
The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn
Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
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Company%20Profile
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RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sri Lanka squad
Dinesh Chandimal, Dimuth Karunaratne, Kaushal Silva, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Lahiru Thirimanne, Niroshan Dickwella, Sadeera Samarawickrama, Rangana Herath, Suranga Lakmal, Nuwan Pradeep, Lakshan Sandakan, Vishwa Fernando, Lahiru Kumara, Jeffrey Vandersay, Milinda Siriwardana, Roshen Silva, Akila Dananjaya, Charith Asalanka, Shaminda Eranga and Dhammika Prasad.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
SPECS
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Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Armies of Sand
By Kenneth Pollack (Oxford University Press)
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
If you go
- The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
- The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
- The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
