Former NATO Secretary General Calls For Air Cover For Ukraine And Taurus And Tomahawk Missiles
7- 6.11.2025, 21:53
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Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged the West to increase pressure on Putin.
Unless Europe changes its strategy in Ukraine and radically increases pressure on Russia, the war could become "endless" and the attacked country will gradually lose ground, former NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said.
Europe should deploy troops to Ukraine before a ceasefire agreement and create a missile and drone shield on its territory with which to cover Ukrainian infrastructure as well, Rasmussen told The Guardian. "We must help the Ukrainian people defend themselves against Russian missiles and drones by building an air shield to help shoot them down. NATO countries bordering Ukraine could host a NATO air and missile defense system," he said. According to Rasmussen, who led the alliance in 2009-2014, if Poland and other countries on NATO's eastern flank deploy such air defense systems, Russia will realize that an attack on them would mean an attack on the entire bloc.
He also believes it is necessary to transfer long-range missiles to Ukraine, and the first step should be taken by Europeans, without waiting, as before, for such a decision to be made in the United States. In his opinion, if Germany gives Kiev Taurus missiles, it will be possible to resume discussions on the supply of American Tomahawk missiles. Donald Trump, to whom Vladimir Zelensky made a similar request, initially considered the issue, but then took it off the agenda after a phone call with Vladimir Putin.
The current German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and his Christian Democratic Union colleagues favored handing over Taurus to Ukraine when they were in opposition, but were opposed by then-Chancellor Olaf Scholz. However, after coming to power, Merz never provided Kiev with these missiles, which are capable of hitting 500 kilometers. Rasmussen believes that Berlin's determination on this issue would send a clear signal to the US and put pressure on the Trump administration:
"Germany is extremely interested in forcing Putin into peace talks.... Taurus is the means to achieve this goal."
With regard to air defense of Ukraine, the European military, supported by former NATO leaders and in cooperation with the Ukrainian air force, already developed a plan about a year ago to cover its western and central regions. This would free up Ukrainian airplanes for the frontline territories. The authors of the Sky Shield project estimate that it would effectively replace more than 10,000 military personnel on the ground and lay the foundation for post-war security guarantees for Ukraine.
Rasmussen believes that some kind of European contingent should be deployed in Ukraine even before a peaceful settlement. Otherwise, the so-called "coalition of the willing," which intends to help implement peace agreements by deploying peacekeepers after the end of hostilities, is turning into a "coalition of the waiting," he said:
"Unless we seriously change strategy, we are in for an endless war. Putin has no incentive to engage in peace talks as long as he thinks he can win on the battlefield. There needs to be a change of pace [of our actions] and thinking."
Rasmussen, who has forged close ties with the Ukrainian leadership, is now visiting European capitals, including London. With British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell, he discussed the possibility of the United States providing security guarantees to Ukraine similar to those Washington gave to Qatar after the Israeli strike on Hamas representatives in Doha.
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