All of the various media outlets in the West are beginning to admit that not only are the Russians making significant gains along the length of the war front but that the size of the Russian army is beginning to overwhelm the ability of the Ukrainian armed forces to hold it back.
As War Gets Bleaker, More Ukrainians Appear Open to a Peace Deal
“The Gloomy Ukraine Reality That NATO Insiders Only Want to Talk About Anonymously”
“In Brussels, almost no one expects Ukraine to regain its lost areas. Only nobody wants to talk about it – at least officially. WELT has spoken to a number of insiders who justify their bleak outlook with a fact that Europe itself is indebted to.”
Russia has been ramping up the number of soldiers it fields while the Ukrainians have hit a wall. Recruitment is being resisted by flight, concealment and lately by attacks on the recruiters. One tactic being used is to burn the vehicles that the recruiters use as they travel around the country, dragging “recruits” out of their homes.
Russia opened up a new front in the north (Kharkiv) that many believe is a feint to draw away resources from the main areas of advance in the east.
All along the Donetsk front slow but steady advance has been the experience ever since the breakthrough at Avdiivka in the spring. Of late the exhaustion of the Ukrainian soldiers is beginning to show. It will probably accelerate as the retreat moves into areas that do not have the extensive tunnels and reinforced bunkers that were provided in places like Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Chasiv Yar.
Of course nothing is assured in war but it seems increasingly likely that Kiev will be looking for a peace settlement after November.
I would have thought that the main lesson of the Viet Nam and succeeding regional wars was or should have been: Don’t initiate or enter wars unless you intend to win and pay whatever price necessary to do so. WWII would be a prime example. But, apparently, that lesson is too esoteric or functionally difficult to be put into practice by our masters. Just what has been accomplished by the US providing Ukraine with just enough weaponry and resources to prolong the war and kill millions on both sides? Not to mention waste God knows how many $100’s of billions… Read more »
If I had to guess what lesson they think they learned from Vietnam, it was to emulate what the Soviets did in that war. Find a proxy to fight your enemy for you. So Russia had the North Vietnamese. The neo-cons in the State Department have the Ukrainian Azov faction who are willing to burn Ukraine down to punish the Russo-Ukrainians who make up 25% of the population. The fact that millions will die and Russia will become our implacable foe forever is neither here nor there.
Tom D asked: “What was the point?”
10% for the big guy.
Sorry to burst anyone’s bubble, but this has always been about graft.
At least is has from the US side.
I think the Poles genuinely wanted to get their licks into the Russians but the US congress, State dept and POTUS were all in for their cut.
I wonder where they’ll play the game next after Ukraine dries up? Iran?
Quite likely. Somebody is going to need to rebuild it after either the US or Israel bombs it back to the stone age. (Not a terrible distance, I admit.)
But there will be lots of contracts and plenty of graft.
Ah, the forever wars. Well, they’ll have to find someone new to cheer them on. I’m done with that.