Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff says Russia has ‘lost’ war in Ukraine
Mike Brest
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Russia has “lost” its war in Ukraine, according to a top U.S. defense official, speaking ten days ahead of the one-year anniversary of their invasion.
Gen. Mark Milley’s comments, which came on Tuesday, occurred after he and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin met with defense leaders from roughly fifty countries in the ninth iteration of the Defense Contact Group in Brussels, which meets monthly to discuss Ukraine’s latest needs to combat Russian aggression.
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“Russia has lost,” he told reporters. “They’ve lost strategically, operationally, and tactically, and they are paying an enormous price on the battlefield. But until Putin ends his war of choice, the international community will continue to support Ukraine; [and supply] the equipment and capabilities it needs to defend itself. Through this group, we are collectively supporting Ukraine’s ability to defend its territory, protect its citizens and liberate their occupied area.”
Putin’s expectations for the war — a swift defeat of Ukraine’s forces and a fracture of the NATO alliance — couldn’t have been further from what has played out over the last nearly twelve months.
“Putin thought he could defeat Ukraine quickly, fracture the NATO alliance, and act with impunity. He was wrong,” the top U.S. general added. “Ukraine remains free, they remain independent. NATO and this coalition has never been stronger, and Russia is now a global pariah. And the world remains inspired by Ukrainian bravery and resilience. In short, Russia has lost — they’ve lost strategically, operationally, and tactically, and they are paying an enormous price on the battlefield.”
U.S. defense officials have described the current situation in Ukraine as a crucial moment as Russia prepares for a new offensive, which some have suggested has already begun, whereas Ukrainian leaders are expected to also mount a counteroffensive in an attempt to liberate their occupied land.
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“What Ukraine wants to do at the first possible moment is to establish or create momentum and establish conditions on the battlefield that continue to be in its favor,” Austin explained. “And so we expect to see them conduct an offensive sometime in the spring. And because of that, we, all the partners in the Ukraine defense contact group, have been working hard to ensure that they have the armored capability, the fires of sustainment to be able to be effective in creating the effects on the battlefield that they want to create.”
Austin also said that the U.S. is not seeing indications Russia will launch “some massive aerial attack,” though he noted Russia’s “substantial number of aircraft in its inventory” is why “we’ve emphasized that we need to do everything that we can to get Ukraine as much air defense capabilities as we possibly can.”