Putin’s brutal, bloody and senseless war against Ukraine’s freedom and self-determination has so far cost hundreds of thousands of lives. Now the war has escalated in that North Korea has sent thousands of soldiers to Russia to take part in Putin’s war of aggression. Norway and the West’s response must be prompt, strong and immediate. We cannot stand passively and observe. Partial freedom does not exist. The freedom of the whole of Europe is a prerequisite for the peace of the whole of Europe. Norway should therefore: Contribute directly with financial support for mass production of weapons in Ukraine following the model from Denmark. Take the initiative for a consultative meeting in Nato to discuss what should be the alliance’s immediate concrete response. Immediately make military personnel available for training Ukrainian forces in Ukraine. Take the initiative for a donor country conference for Ukraine in Oslo with the aim of at least doubling the support to Ukraine. The West’s response to North Korea’s entry into the war has been pointlessly weak. This is not a sign that Putin is struggling. It is a sign that Putin is willing to use all the means at his disposal to slaughter the Ukrainian people, seize lands and continue his fight against democracy, the rule of law and people’s freedom. NATO and Norway should make it clear to Putin that bringing North Korean soldiers into Ukrainian territory is crossing yet another red line. GOOD FRIENDS: Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un met in June this year. Photo: AP Putin himself must take the risk that the West’s response is to equip Ukraine with long-range missiles that will hit military targets inside Russia, and the possible deployment of Western military personnel and Western soldiers in Ukraine. Putin’s appetite for war is growing as he eats his way ever further into Ukraine. If he is not stopped now, other neighboring countries will have their turn. The West must fight back against Russia and North Korea, despite their attempts to project power, cannot match the West’s military capabilities. They can be stopped. With the USA, NATO and the EU at the forefront, the West has superior technological, strategic and human resources. This is not only a question of military capacity, but also of coordination, innovation and values. We possess advanced technology, sophisticated weapons systems and an alliance structure that Russia and North Korea can only dream of. While Russia relies on outdated technology and forced mobilization, the West has a head start when it comes to both modern technology and strategic defense planning. In 2023, the NATO countries’ total defense budget was over 1.1 trillion dollars, while Russia had a defense budget of around 85 billion dollars. NATO has over 3.5 million active military personnel, compared to Russia, which has approximately 1 million active soldiers. NATO has a superior naval capability, particularly through the naval forces of the US, UK and France. With over 17 aircraft carriers (the majority from the US), modern destroyers, submarines and logistics vessels, Nato can operate globally and maintain sea control. Russia has one operational aircraft carrier. Western countries have a more extensive satellite capacity and control over a large proportion of the world’s communication satellites. NATO has a technological superiority in almost all areas. This includes modern tanks, sophisticated missile defense systems, advanced combat aircraft, drones, precision-guided munitions and electronic warfare. The technological innovation, among others in the USA, Great Britain and Germany, but also Ukraine, makes NATO and the West superior to Russia in almost all aspects of military operations. It is this superiority that gives us not only an opportunity, but also a responsibility to strike back quickly, decisively and precisely against Putin’s and Kim Jong-un’s perverse warfare against Ukraine. History will judge us if we do not act If Norway and the West fail to act now, we are sending a signal that we tolerate totalitarian regimes strengthening their iron grip. It will be a fatal mistake for which history will judge us. It’s not just about supporting Ukraine – it’s about standing up for the fundamental values that form the backbone of our free societies. Values such as freedom, self-determination, human rights and the rule of law. Defending Ukraine is therefore defending our future. If we allow a world where despots collaborate freely to crush people’s hopes for freedom, we are not only failing Ukraine, we are failing ourselves and future generations. We are militarily superior, and with that comes a moral responsibility. Ukraine is not only fighting for its own freedom, but ours as well. It is a battle we must fight together with them. Send us your opinion Want to write? Feel free to contact us at news Ytring with your post. The guidelines can be found here. Published 31.10.2024, at 13.21
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Time to fight back – Speech
