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BREAKING
President al-Mashat: Our armed forces, represented by our air defenses, will soon turn the Zionist enemy’s aircraft into a subject of ridicule.
President al-Mashat: Good news about the Zionist enemy’s aircraft used in aggression against our country will reach you soon, God willing.
President al-Mashat: Our armed forces will be able to deal with hostile Zionist aircraft without causing any harm to air or maritime navigation.
President al-Mashat: To ensure the safety of airliners, they must avoid navigating along the routes used by the Zionist entity to carry out aggression against our country.
Yemeni President Mahdi al-Mashat: For the safety of air and maritime navigation in areas where our armed forces operate, we have directed that the routes used by the Zionist enemy to attack our country be designated as dangerous.
Hamas official says despite this, Hamas leadership is currently undertaking a thorough review of the new proposal
Hamas official says the response fails to meet any of the just and legitimate demands of our people
Hamas official says it is clear that the Israeli response fundamentally seeks to entrench the occupation
Reuters citing Hamas official: Group received Israeli response to Witkoff proposal
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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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