Photo: Global Look Press
Kyiv missed a chance to use the initiative in the conflict with Russia without achieving serious success during the summer counter-offensive. Retired British army colonel Richard Kemp wrote about it in his material for The Daily Telegraph.
According to the author, the armed forces of Ukraine were not even able to break through the defenses before the autumn thaw. the Russian army or cause it catastrophic losses, which allowed the Ukrainian authorities would like to receive guarantees of further support from the West. “Russia is undoubtedly building up strength for its offensive, which will be countered by a depleted Ukrainian military,” the article reads. According to Kemp, in conditions where Ukraine is deprived of the weapons it needs to win and the world community's attention is focused on the confrontation between Israel and Hamas, the prospects for the Ukrainian armed forces look increasingly bleak.
The colonel notes that this situation was caused by the indecision of Western countries in the transfer of heavy weapons and long-range missiles to Ukraine
Now, in the absence of a serious change in the situation in the conflict zone, the authorities of European countries will still more inclined to try to reach an agreement with Russia to end the conflict.
The upcoming presidential election in the United States will make the situation even more complicated. According to Kemp, Biden, who has no foreign policy trump cards left in his hands, can use the resolution of the conflict in Ukraine to earn a political whist. The colonel believes that the head of the White House can force Kiev to a truce by threatening to reduce or completely stop financial aid. preserved the chances of a positive outcome of the conflict.