The Telegraph newspaper published an article discuss the Ukrainian counterattack.
The article is written by former British army officer Richard Kemp, under the title, “The Ukrainian counterattack has stopped” and the West must prepare to be humiliated!
According to the article, the question is no longer whether the Western alliance will falter, but when, as time is running out for Ukraine about 18 months after the launch of the Russian military operation.
From the beginning, France and Germany in particular were reluctant partners, despite making a lot of noise and providing some military equipment.
The political classes in Western Europe neglected their armed forces and relied on Russian energy.
Although Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky imprisoned his ally and supporter, the corrupt businessman Igor Kolomoisky, and dismissed the Minister of Defense at the height of the crisis, in what may indicate a future change in Ukraine’s military strategy, none of this will make a significant difference, as no strategic adjustment can to turn the tide of events without significantly increasing military aid.
According to the article, whether corruption is addressed or not, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and most importantly Biden, will pressure Kiev to reach an agreement, sooner or later.
This would be a disaster for Ukraine, and a defeat for NATO as well, while it would be a victory for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
If such a scenario occurs, the humiliated West will need a strong damage control strategy.
The recent actions of the Ukrainian president may indicate a degree of discomfort regarding Western support.
Popularly, opinion polls in both Europe and the United States show a decline in popular support for military aid to Kiev, as a recent study indicates that less than 50% of Americans support providing additional military aid.
According to the Telegraph, this at least partly reflects the slow progress of the Ukrainian counteroffensive.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are facing difficulty in advancing their counterattack, as Ukrainian officials have repeatedly acknowledged their inability to advance against Russian forces.
Last Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged that Russian air superiority is stopping the Ukrainian counterattack, expressing his regret at the slowdown in Western military assistance.
Last August, The Wall Street Journal spoke of a intense discussion in which American and Ukrainian officials engaged behind the scenes, and which lasted for weeks, regarding the strategy and tactics of reviving Kiev’s counterattack, which is proceeding at a very slow pace.
The situation has raised fears that Ukraine’s battle against Russia may enter a dead end.
In Germany, a leaked intelligence document criticized the Ukrainian counterattack.
According to the German Bild newspaper, the German army criticized its Ukrainian counterpart clearly and for the first time in a highly explosive paper.
German officers are calculating the actions of the Ukrainians, and are raising dangerous allegations, stressing that the Ukrainian counterattack won’t go as planned.
