NATO was too optimistic about the Ukrainian army’s ability to take back territories before the summer counteroffensive, The Times newspaper reported, citing an unnamed American officer who participated in the training of Ukrainian soldiers.
Izvor: Shutterstock
The source states that the US-led NATO “expected miracles” from the Kiev troops.
The British paper notes that officials in Kiev have begun to blame their Western backers for their alleged lack of resolve.
“NATO expected miracles, and the Ukrainians promised them,” he said and added that “you cannot wage a war based on optimism.”
The paper says that neither Russia nor Ukraine can make any decisive progress at the moment, while Kiev is now declaring the capture of individual villages a success.
The author estimates that Kiev has a maximum of two months to turn the tide before the autumn rains in November completely prevent the passage of military equipment.
Strong defensive fortifications and extensive minefields laid by Russian forces in southern Ukraine are some of the reasons for the apparent failure of Kiev’s counter-offensive, the newspaper said.
In this context, officials in Kiev have recently begun criticizing NATO for not doing enough, describing the Alliance as a bloc that “doesn’t have the guts.”
“With neither side willing to compromise, the conflict is likely to continue in the long run,” the paper states.
Speaking to The Washington Post earlier this week, Polish President Andrzej Duda, one of Kiev’s most prominent supporters, admitted that the Ukrainian military “is not currently capable of conducting a very decisive counteroffensive against the Russian military.”
Ukraine began its long-awaited counter-offensive at the beginning of June, concentrating efforts at several points along the front line from Zaporozhye to Donetsk region, “Rasha Today” reminds.
(Srna/WORLD)