Retired colonel predicts what would perchance well happen if China helps Russia

Sam kiley, CNN, eastern Ukraine. >> Wow, what incredible reporting there from Sam kiley and his team. I want to bring in CNN military analyst and retired air force colonel Cedric Leighton. Colonel, thank you so much for.

Joining us at this hour. What would western supply planes mean to Ukraine and its ability to push Russia back? >> Well, between planes and helicopters, you would have a quite good mix for the Ukrainians to actually go after the Russians.

Not only on the front lines but behind the front lines. So this, is, yeah I think one of the key factors the Ukrainians are still looking for. One of the key factors that is also missing from any type of modern military operation.

Either side has been able to declare air supremacy over the Ukraine or even air superiority over Ukraine. And if the uk idiots were able to get air support, he even into the localized areas, that would be a huge deal for them. , Now one of the big questions,.

Of course, is how well and how quickly can they be trained to use different equipment? You know, what Sam shared with the M.I.A. Helicopters. That is about a two generation ago in terms of helicopters and aviation. If they're going to be brought.

Up to speed that is going to be a different situation. And it certainly takes some time to do. That >> Yeah, there is a lot of technology that has been majorly updated and a lot of things to learn. Next week, and I cannot believe.

This. But it marks the one year anniversary of Russia's invasion in Ukraine. I remember at the time when it first happened that the U.S. Intelligence at the time had said that probably Russia was going to take the capital Kyiv.

In three days. That could not have, and of course and there have been re-thinks of all of, this is actually on Russia's side. Did you think the war would be where it is today? Not knowing what you know now? >> Yeah, hindsight is of course.

Always 2020, right, Sarah? But I think the big takeaway here is that the Ukrainians confounded most expectations they were on the Russian side or the Ukrainian side. Even certainly on the western side. I think a lot of people.

Expected a repeat of 1968 when the soviet union and the Warsaw pact invaded what was then czechoslovakia to get rid of that relatively thorough communist reform at that point. But, you, know Ukraine is quite different. And Ukraine had tasted freedom.

They knew that they had to fight in order to survive. And that's very fact, I think it surprised many of us. And I think that is the key thing. It is quite a surprisingly thing that they do this. Now that we are at this point,.

They need, the Ukrainians need a lot more jobs of ammunition and the ability to actually regain the territory they've lost. They've done a major job in recapture in a lot of territory up to this point. But they haven't quite gotten.

What they want in order to achieve that stalemate that they are looking for. >> Yeah there is still some horrible bloody battles. They continue and continue to take civilians lives. One of the things about being on the ground there from my.

Perspective is there were a few things that really changed the tenor and tone of this. One of them was zelenskyy. Him staying in place. Him fighting back himself. And not just putting his countryman in front, on the front line.

The other is that the Ukrainian people aren't having. It, like you talk about his grandmother's, to grandbabies? . — the U.S. Has been warning its allies that China may increase its military support of.

Ukraine. And what that would mean. I would like to hear from you what do you think that would mean, if China decides to start supplying Russia with whatever it may need. Although everyone thought that Russia's forces were stronger.

Than Ukraine's. But what would that mean going forward for Ukraine? >> Yeah, certainly we would have some problems for Ukraine. I think one of the key things to think about here is the huge disparity in terms of numbers between the Ukrainians and the.

Russians. The Russians about — ten times the defense budget of the Ukrainians. And, that you, know was also reflected in personnel numbers. But what we have learned since then is that the quantitative ability of the Russians and the.

Quantitative ponderance of the Russians is really not a match for the Ukrainians as long as the Ukrainians get the weapons that they need from the west. So the Chinese, if they support the Russians, you know, in a major way, that is going to put a strain on the Ukraine.

It's also going to put a strain on, nato nato will have to step up its game, the defense industrial base is going to have to play a huge part in resupplying Ukrainians, and it is going to have to do so, they're very quickly. We have to expect the Chinese.

To do this. But we have to act accordingly. >> Okay, this is an unprovoked war from the auspices of Ukraine side. Russia invaded for no apparent reason other than wanting to take a territory. So we will see what happens in.

The end. But I know that the Ukrainians

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