Ukraine resistance highlights need to prepare, says US general in Thailand for military exercises

Ukraine’s stiff resistance to the Russian invasion, which has turned Moscow’s advance into a grinding war of attrition, has underscored the importance to American allies of the need to be prepared for any eventuality, the top US Army commander in the Pacific said Friday.

General Charles Flynn said that the events in Europe highlight the need for regular training exercises with partners, like the one that just concluded between the Royal Thai Army and the US Army.

“The will of the Ukrainian army, the will of their government, the will of the resistance is a contributing factor to what’s unfolded,” said Flynn, who was in Thailand for the end of the exercise and for talks with military commanders as part of a trip meeting counterparts throughout the region.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine just over a month ago, many quickly drew comparisons to the situation between Taiwan and China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory.

China has stepped up its military harassment of Taiwan in recent years and has not ruled out the use of force against it, though China’s President Xi Jinping has stressed that “peaceful reunification” is in the best interests of both sides.

Analysts say the situation between Taiwan and China does not fit a simple narrative and that imminent military action from China is unlikely. But Taiwan’s Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said this week he was considering extending the current four-month compulsory military service amid growing concerns about tensions with China, which have been underscored by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Last week, US Secretary of the Army Christine Wormuth suggested that American allies in the Indo-Pacific would be following the events in Ukraine closely to see what lessons can be applied in their own planning.