Pentagon chief: If Russia achieves its goals in Ukraine, it will cost it dearly
Kyiv • UNN
Lloyd Austin said that achieving Russia's goals in Ukraine will lead to significant losses for it in the future. To maintain the occupied territories, Russia will have to spend huge resources and engage significant ground forces.
If the Kremlin succeeds in achieving its goals in the war against Ukraine, it will lead to significant losses for Russia itself in the future. This was stated by Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin in an interview with Bloomberg News, UNN reports.
Details
The Pentagon chief said that despite the fact that Russia currently seems to have the upper hand in the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin is facing a growing number of challenges that will make it difficult to consolidate its gains in the future.
There is a perception that Russia has all the advantages and holds the decisive cards. It has certain advantages, but that does not mean that it completely dominates the situation. And if it achieves its goals, it will cost it dearly in the future
These circumstances, in his opinion, should be taken into account during any attempts to conclude a truce that the future administration of Donald Trump may make.
He has stated that he wants to end the war in Ukraine quickly. According to his advisers, a deal is possible that would leave almost 20% of the territory of Ukraine currently occupied by Russian troops under the control of Russian dictator Vladimir Putin . For his part, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has recently softened his stance, suggesting that his government could use diplomatic means to return the seized territories.
The Russians are also facing difficulties. They have turned to North Korea and Iran for help, weapons, ammunition, and now people
According to Kyiv and its allies, North Korea has sent thousands of troops to Russia. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to build up its capabilities for a counteroffensive, the Pentagon chief said.
He added that the occupation of large areas of Ukraine, even after a possible ceasefire, would require significant resources from Russia. To hold these territories, Russia will have to deploy large ground forces.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy is also expected to attend a meeting of defense officials in Ramstein, where the US will present the latest $500 million military aid package to Ukraine.
Austin also rejected criticism from some European and Ukrainian officials who believed that President Joe Biden's administration did not have a clear strategy to support Ukraine.
He emphasized that this strategy helped Ukraine survive and defend its sovereign territorial right. According to him, Russia's losses during the three years of war were "unthinkable" for the Kremlin, as no one could have imagined such consequences at the beginning of the full-scale invasion.
He also cited Syria as one of the strategic successes in the confrontation with Russia. Due to Putin's focus on the war in Ukraine, he was unable to help his ally, the now deposed dictator Bashar al-Assad.
Austin emphasized that the loss of access to a key naval base in Syria, which was important for Russia's military presence in the Middle East, now calls into question Putin's ability to support his efforts in Africa.
On the eve of today's meeting of the Contact Group on Ukraine's Defense in the Ramstein format, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov discussed with Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin a roadmap for cooperation with allies to provide military assistance to Ukraine until at least the end of 2027
Ukraine has received over $126 billion in defense aid from the countries of the "Ramstein" .
