Sir Richard Shirreff, a retired British general and former second-in-charge of NATO’s European Command, said that Europe and Canada must step up support to Ukraine after the US suspended its aid for Kyiv.
“European nations and Canada have just got to ramp up immediately to fill the gap. And this means taking risk. It means giving immediate money to the Ukrainians,” Shirreff said.
He said Europe, Canada and NATO should have done so earlier, though he said it was “better late than never.”
We cannot rely on America as an ally
“The reason this didn’t happen three years ago is because of a sort of ostrich-like head in the sand about the real threat posed by (Russian President Vladimir) Putin to European security as a whole,” he said.
Shirreff also accused Europe of being “naive” for relying on US security protection, and said it could no longer count on US support after Washington voted alongside Russia and North Korea against a European motion at the United Nations condemning Russia’s aggression.
“I say this with real sadness in my heart because I’ve worked alongside, served alongside Americans and have the greatest admiration for the American military, but I have to say now that we cannot rely on America as an ally,” he said.