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Al Mayadeen's correspondent: Two were martyred in an initial toll of the Israeli drone strike that targeted the al-Asira neighborhood in the city of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Al Mayadeen's correspondent: An Israeli drone strike targeted the al-Asira neighborhood east of Baalbek, eastern Lebanon
Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are the greatest resistance. Know that 'Israel' will fall because it embodies aggression, crime, and occupation; victory is truly yours
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: The value of what you are doing despite your wounds is immense, and here you are, treading the path of the Master of Nation's Martyrs and the leaders
Sheikh Qassem to the pager attack survivors: You are moving forward with insight deeper than sight itself. The enemy sought to eliminate your role in the battle, yet you remain steadfast and continue the fight
Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem to the pager attack survivors one year later: You are healing from your wounds and rising above them. You have successfully passed the test
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Egyptian PM Mostafa Madbouli: Egypt is targeted in plans to redraw regional map
AEOI Chief Mohammad Eslami: Our presence in IAEA General Council and fact-checking helped in preventing unilateral rhetoric that aims to portray Iran as an unregulated country

US, Ukraine cannot meet in middle on counteroffensive strategy: WSJ

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: Wall Street Journal
  • 24 Aug 2023 21:28
3 Min Read

A Wall Street Journal report highlights the contentious discord between US and Ukrainian officials over the strategy to reverse a failing counteroffensive against Russia.

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  • A US volunteer with Ukrainian volunteers after training them in Kiev, August 10, 2023 (AP)
    A US volunteer with Ukrainian volunteers after training them in Kiev, August 10, 2023 (AP)

A recent report by the Wall Street Journal shows that US and Ukrainian officials have been embroiled in a heated dispute over the best strategy each party wants to take to reverse the trend of the failing counteroffensive. 

The US-Ukrainian discord became evident in one bilateral meeting when General Valery Zaluzhny, the commander of the Ukrainian armed forces, challenged the American understanding of the conflict. Zaluznhy was emphasizing the large-scale scope of the war which he felt the Americans were downgrading. 

"You don't understand the nature of this conflict. This is not counterinsurgency. This is Kursk [referring to the WWII battle between the USSR and Nazi Germany]," Zaluzhny said, according to a US official present in the meeting cited by WSJ. 

US Warnings to Kiev

American military authorities have been consistently adamant in their directives to Ukrainian forces: urging a concentrated effort to amass forces and breach Russian defenses, aiming to advance all the way to the Sea of Azov.

However, recent adjustments made by Kiev seem to have only marginally bridged the gap in strategy, leaving both parties grappling with the critical question of how to regain momentum against Russia before winter.

Central to the American stance is the belief that the substantial military aid provided to Ukraine, totaling over $43 billion in weaponry over time, has supplied the necessary arsenal for a successful offensive.

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However, American officials caution that such a massive influx of resources cannot be replicated at a similar scale in 2024.

"We built up this mountain of steel for the counteroffensive. We can't do that again," cautioned a former US official, underscoring the resource limitations.

Read more: US announces new $300mln military assistance package for Ukraine

Within the US government, differing viewpoints are apparent, but a consensus of "serious frustration" with Ukraine's strategic approach seems to have emerged.

Notably, President Volodymyr Zelensky's emphasis on the town of Bakhmut has drawn scrutiny. While some Ukrainian military officers viewed it as instrumental in boosting morale and establishing a buffer zone, Washington viewed it as a swamp that drained resources and dissipated efforts. 

Following a warning from US officials regarding the dispersion of their efforts, the Ukrainian forces adapted their approach, transitioning to a defensive stance in the eastern sector of Zaporozhye. This tactical shift has allowed the Ukrainian military to preserve their strength for a forthcoming major offensive in a different location while also economizing on their use of artillery resources.

However, US officials remain steadfast in their opinion, asserting that the Ukrainian forces are still thinly spread, making it challenging to mount a potent concentrated advance toward the southern front.

Read more: US says Ukraine corruption poses risks to aid

Furthermore, US officials assert that Ukraine's preference for small-unit attacks along narrow fronts is hampering the pace of the offensive. Such tactics inadvertently provided the Russians with more opportunities to respond, including deploying mines via artillery strikes and rocket-propelled grenade-equipped units.

  • United States
  • Ukraine counteroffensive
  • counteroffensive
  • Russia
  • Ukraine
Russia & NATO

Russia & NATO

As the Draconian Western-led sanctions on Russia exacerbate the economic crisis worldwide, and as Russian troops gain more ground despite the influx of military aid into Ukraine, exposing US direct involvement in bio-labs spread across Eastern Europe and the insurgence of neo-Nazi groups… How will things unfold?

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