Europe faces pressing questions about tactics and strategy as the Ukraine war grinds on.

Ukraine’s European allies are facing questions of tactical and political importance as bloody battles in the country’s east tilt in Russia’s favor.

On the tactical front, NATO allies, and especially those in Ukraine’s vicinity, face the challenge of having tapped their own supplies to support the war effort, leaving them with depleted arsenals.

And on the political front, the question of whether the European Union will take the leap to grant Ukraine candidate status for the bloc will need to be answered before the end of the month.

The realities on the battlefield, as Ukrainian officials assess that Russia could fully encircle the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk in the next few days, will likely influence both the decision on how to replenish arsenals and send in ammunition as well as the decision to offer Ukraine hope by granting it E.U. candidate status, even if technically it’s not ready for it.
Read more

@nytimes