WASHINGTON, DC – Russia will not win military success in Ukraine, according to top US officer General Mark Milley, who also cautioned that Kyiv is unlikely to force Moscow’s soldiers out very soon.
His remarks bolstered predictions that the battle in Ukraine will rage on, with neither side positioned to gain a decisive victory and no negotiations now underway.
“Russia is not going to win this war militarily.” “It’s simply not,” Milley told reporters following the completion of a virtual gathering of dozens of countries that support Ukraine.
Russia’s original strategic aims, including overturning the Kyiv government, “are not militarily achievable, and they’re not going to be accomplished,” Milley added.
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of Russian troops remain stationed in Ukraine, making Kyiv’s goal of recapturing all of its land unlikely “in the near term,” he said.
“That means the fighting will continue, it will be bloody, and it will be difficult.” And at some time, one side will negotiate a settlement or resort to military force.”
The United States has led the international campaign for Ukraine’s backing, immediately forming a coalition to help Kyiv after Russia invaded in February 2022 and arranging aid from dozens of countries.
According to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Ukraine’s backers have donated approximately $65 billion in security assistance to the country.
The White House stated last week that it would approve delivering modern airplanes, including F-16s, to Ukraine, reversing its previous stance.
Austin and Milley stated on Thursday that Kyiv supporters “discussed plans for training Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation fighter aircraft, including the F-16,” and that “planning and executing this training will be a significant undertaking.”
According to the US defense commander, a fund may be established to accept financial donations from countries that do not have F-16s or the capacity to directly assist with training, maintenance, or sustainment.
Milley rationalized the US decision to provide the jets to Kyiv by stating that doing so early in the conflict would have diverted cash away from more pressing demands, whereas upgrading Ukraine’s air force is a long-term undertaking.
“It’s going to take a long time to build up an air force of the size, scope, and scale that will be required,” he said.
Source: AFP
