The US general said it would be difficult for Ukraine to completely repel Russian forces
(Dan Tri) – Although rejecting the notion that Ukraine’s counteroffensive campaign has failed, Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said that it will be difficult for Kiev to completely repel Russian forces.
Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley (Photo: EPA).
`I know there are some opinions that Ukraine’s counterattack failed. It did not fail,` AFP on September 17 quoted Mr. Milley as saying.
However, when it comes to the possibility of achieving more ambitious goals such as reaching the southern coast and reclaiming the city of Mariupol, Mr Milley said he did not want to `make predictions`.
He said that it is difficult for Ukraine to completely repel Russian forces because this requires a comprehensive strategy and a huge effort.
`It will take a long time to repel all of the more than 200,000 Russian soldiers from the areas that Russia controls. That is a huge challenge that requires a lot of time,` he emphasized.
Previously, he made similar comments.
Ukraine began its counter-offensive campaign in June. Ukrainian and Western officials admitted that the speed of the counter-attack was slower than expected, but affirmed that Kiev continued to attack and achieve its goals of regaining territory.
Meanwhile, Russia said Ukraine’s counterattack campaign had failed and suffered heavy losses.
Ukrainian officials, including President Volodymyr Zelensky, have repeatedly asserted that their top priority is to regain all territory, restoring 1991 borders. Kiev claims any negotiations
However, Moscow believes that Kiev’s goal is far-fetched and Ukraine needs to accept `new territorial realities`.
To achieve its goal, Kiev has increased its request for more advanced and long-range weapons from the West, aimed at attacking Russian targets behind the front lines.
Despite this criticism, General Milley affirmed that with 40 billion USD in military aid and 100 billion USD in general aid, the US has been `very generous`.