West knew Kiev lacked preparedness for counteroffensive: WSJ
5 Min Read
A Wall Street Journal report says the West counted on Ukrainian "courage and resourcefulness."
-
Ukrainian troops prepare shells near Bakhmut (AFP)
Western allies were aware that Ukraine did not have enough weaponry and trained troops to carry out a successful counteroffensive and hoped that the "courage and resourcefulness" of Ukrainian troops would fix the problem, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In late June, the Pentagon claimed that it knew from the beginning that the counteroffensive would be tough, but believed that Kiev had the necessary equipment.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the matters concerning deliveries of scarce weapons to Ukraine have not been settled yet but claimed that Kiev's counteroffensive was about to "gain pace".
The Wall Street Journal report pointed out that the West counted on Ukrainian "courage and resourcefulness," but strong Russian defenses blocked any major Ukrainian advances, possibly leading the counteroffensive into a stalemate, which will cost Kiev many lives and equipment with no substantial gains.
According to the report, Europe's resources are insufficient to supply Ukraine with everything it needs. The report also cited unnamed Western diplomats as saying that European leaders are unlikely to step up support for Ukraine if they perceive reluctance from the US, as the current administration is preparing for the next year's presidential race.
Ukraine launched its much-touted counteroffensive in early June after repeatedly delaying the campaign over a lack of military supplies from its Western donors. Zelensky had admitted that progress was "slower than desired."
In mid-July, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Ukraine’s counteroffensive is in its "early weeks" and will "play out over the next weeks."
The Russian Defense Ministry said Ukrainian troops have been trying — but failing — to advance in the South Donetsk, Bakhmut, and Zaporozhye directions.
Earlier on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin reiterated, during talks with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg, that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has failed.
According to Putin, the Ukrainian armed forces had lost more than 26,000 troops during the counteroffensive.
He added that foreign mercenaries were also suffering big losses in Ukraine "because of their foolishness."
In the same context, the Russian President highlighted that the Russian forces have destroyed a record number of foreign vehicles in the past day in the course of the Ukraine war, noting that units fully equipped with foreign equipment have been operating on Ukraine's side.
On Friday, White House National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, considered that it was premature to judge the outcome of Kiev's counteroffensive, adding that while losing "significant" soldiers, Ukrainian forces still have "substantial" reserves to deploy in combat.
Responding to a question on whether the "real counteroffensive is yet to come," Sullivan indicated that "there have already been significant amounts of casualties and deaths of Ukrainian fighters in this counteroffensive, so it is well underway. And it is hard going. And we said it would be hard going."
According to the US diplomat, Kiev possesses a "substantial amount of combat power that it has not yet committed to the fight" and is currently attempting to determine the best time "when it will have the maximum impact on the battlefield," echoing what Putin said in June, that Western countries seem to be determined to fight until the last Ukrainian.
"It is at that moment when they make that commitment that we will really see what the likely results of that counteroffensive will be," Sullivan said at the Aspen Security Forum in Washington, DC, highlighting that the United States is in "close consultation with the Ukrainians on the conditions for that."
It is noteworthy that on Friday, Putin stressed that Western supporters of Kiev are disappointed with the results of Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia, pointing out that despite the supply of weapons and foreign mercenaries, the Ukrainian forces have not been successful in breaking through the Russian army's front lines.
Putin said the Ukrainian armed forces have suffered significant losses, and the supply of Western weapons and resources has not helped them recover, further emphasizing that further military aid from the West would only prolong the conflict.
Earlier this week, senior Pentagon officials claimed that it was too soon to declare Kiev's counteroffensive a "failure", claiming that the US had expected the operation to be bloody and drawn out.
According to The New York Times, Zelensky froze the counteroffensive to replenish ammunition after his forces lost up to 20% of weapons deployed in the operation in just two weeks.
Read more: Ukraine, world's most mined country, takes 757 years to demine: WashPo
