New Atlanticist

Jul 19, 2022

Ukraine’s defense minister: With the right weapons, ‘Russia can definitely be defeated’

By Dan Peleschuk

Oleksii Reznikov laid out what the West can do to help Ukraine win back its territory from Russia.

Conflict Defense Technologies

Moscow continues its full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. However, the nature of the war has changed for the third time. In the east, Russia, using its dramatic advantages in artillery, tanks, and manpower, continues the offensive. But its pace has slowed down. A war conducted along Russian-controlled fortified front lines continues in the south, while the Ukrainian army counterattacks. Under these conditions, the Kremlin switched to tactics of direct terror by shelling peaceful cities with missiles, which has led to heavy casualties, threatened the use of nuclear weapons, and choked the global food supply.

What can the West do to help Ukraine defend itself from Russia’s terror campaign and continue to take back its territory on the frontlines?

H.E. Oleksii Reznikov, minister of defense of Ukraine, joined Ambassador John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, for a discussion on the shifting nature of the war.

An #ACFrontPage event

Atlantic Council Front Page is our premier live ideas platform for global leaders to discuss the defining challenges of our time. #ACFrontPage is a virtual event series featuring top newsmakers across multiple digital platforms. Harnessing the convening power and expertise of the Council’s fifteen Programs and Centers, #ACFrontPage leverages the Council’s capabilities in social media, press, and digital outreach to spotlight the world’s most prominent leaders and the most compelling ideas across sectors and engage new audiences eager for nonpartisan and constructive solutions to current global challenges. This widely promoted program features the Council’s most important guests and content serving as the highlight of our programming each week.

Featuring

Oleksii Reznikov

Minister of Defense of Ukraine

In conversation with

Staff

John E. Herbst

Senior Director

Eurasia Center

Ukraine Politics & Diplomacy

Europe in crisis

War in Ukraine

In February 2022, Moscow launched an all-out invasion of Ukraine after a months-long military build-up, threatening the country’s sovereignty and its future. This existential moment for the country follows the 2014 Maidan revolution, a nexus for Ukraine’s Europe-focused foreign policy and reform efforts. The ensuing Russian invasion and occupation of Crimea, aggression in Ukraine’s east, and Kremlin disinformation efforts, cast a shadow over Ukraine’s independence.

More on the war View UkraineAlert

UkraineAlert Feb 23, 2023

Invasion anniversary: Does Putin still have a pathway to victory in Ukraine?

Vladimir Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine is widely seen as one of the biggest geopolitical blunders of the modern era, but as the war enters its second year, could the Russian dictator still have a pathway to potential victory?

Read More

UkraineAlert Feb 28, 2023

Russia’s invasion one year on: Ukraine is stronger than ever

By Vitaly Sych

Vladimir Putin expected a short and victorious war that would extinguish Ukrainian independence and force the country back into the Russian orbit. One year on, Ukraine has never been stronger, writes Vitaly Sych.

Civil Society Conflict

UkraineAlert Feb 28, 2023

Tech innovation helps Ukraine even the odds against Russia’s military might

By Mykhailo Fedorov

Over the past year, Ukrainians have demonstrated their ability to defeat Russia using a combination of raw courage and innovative military tech, writes Ukraine’s Digital Transformation Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.

Conflict Cybersecurity

The Eurasia Center’s mission is to enhance transatlantic cooperation in promoting stability, democratic values and prosperity in Eurasia, from Eastern Europe and Turkey in the West to the Caucasus, Russia and Central Asia in the East.

Learn more