The commander of the Ukrainian armed forces assured his US counterpart on Monday that his troops are “doing their best”, on the one hand preventing the invading forces from succeeding and “continuing step by step to create conditions to move forward” in the south, on the other. . Valery Zaluzhny’s statements, released in a Ukrainian government statement, shed no light on the army’s difficulties in retaking territory, but four Western officials admit to CNN that if Kiev is unable to to break through the first lines of defense, rifts may then arise between the Ukrainians and the allied countries. “This is the most difficult time in the war,” Democratic Rep. Mike Quigley said.
An “unrealistic” optimism at the start of the counter-offensive could be Ukraine’s worst enemy given the contrast between expectations and reality, the sources quoted by CNN say. That gap, these officials who spoke on condition of anonymity point out, could lead to increased pressure on Kiev to begin peace talks, which at this stage would amount to awarding territory or creating divisions in the alliance.
Political scientist Samuel Charap of the RAND Corporation think tank is an example of someone who argues for negotiations as soon as possible, even if it means that Kiev has to accept the loss of territory. “A post-war Ukraine that is equally prosperous and democratic, with a strong Western commitment to its security, would be a real strategic victory,” he argued on Sky News.
Ukrainians have valid complaints about support for the counter-offensive, which started later than expected due to a lack of equipment. When Kyiv requested Western tanks to help it retake territory last September, Russian troops were in an early stage of reinforcement.
When the tanks began to arrive – in insufficient numbers – there were already thousands of miles of fortifications and a countless number of mines to hinder the progress of the tanks. Not to mention the absence of modern fighters or missiles that can reach hundreds of kilometers with precision, such as the North American ATACMS or the German Taurus.
For Maksym Skrypchenko, president of the Transatlantic Dialogue Center in Kiev, what is happening on the front should encourage the West to gain more support. “Ukraine’s Western partners have every reason to expect recompense for the significant military aid they have provided. But that does not give anyone the right to pressure Ukraine to surrender. On the contrary, the lack of progress of Ukraine in the past two months should be a wake-up call for Western leaders.”
“Up to now, Ukraine has armed itself to ensure its survival. It is time to arm Ukraine for victory,” Skrypchenko told Sky News.
In the wake of two rocket attacks on the same residential block in Pokrovsk (Donetsk) within the space of ten minutes, Ukrainian emergency services accused Russia of deliberately killing rescue personnel. One rescuer was killed and 10 others injured in the twin attack that left a total of seven people dead and 81 injured. Moscow claims to have hit a military command post.
Source: DN
