MOSCOW, January 27 The administration of US President Joe Biden after an unsuccessful The Ukrainian counteroffensive is developing a new strategy for Ukraine, the new plan focuses not on trying to seize territory, but on helping Kiev repel new possible offensives, the Washington Post writes.
Still reeling from last year's failed counteroffensive in Ukraine, the Biden administration is developing a new strategy that will de-emphasize retaking territory and instead focus on helping Ukraine fend off new Russian offensives while moving toward the long-term goal of bolstering its military power. and economy,” the publication writes.
According to the publication’s source, it will be difficult for Ukraine to try to launch a major offensive on all fronts, which they tried to undertake last year.
Another newspaper source indicates that the plan is to position Ukraine so that it holds its positions on the battlefield for now, but also to «send them on a different trajectory so that they are much stronger by the end of 2024 of the year».
As the publication notes, this spring the Biden administration hopes to unveil a ten-year commitment to Ukraine. At the moment, they are being compiled by the US State Department, but on the condition that Biden's request for additional funding for Ukraine in the amount of $61 billion is approved by Congress. “The US document… is being developed taking into account four stages: struggle, construction, restoration and reform,” the newspaper writes, citing sources.
Earlier, the Financial Times reported, citing an unnamed Western official, that Ukraine, after an unsuccessful summer counter-offensive, was changing tactics and moving to “active defense” in 2024. It was noted that a new offensive by Kyiv in the West is not expected until 2025. Later, the head of Vladimir Zelensky’s office, Andriy Ermak, in an interview with the Spanish newspaper Mundo, stated that Ukraine’s transition to “defense” is impossible.
US Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink previously stated that the United States seeks to sign a security guarantee agreement with Ukraine, and bilateral consultations with the Ukrainian government have started on this issue.
The Ukrainian counteroffensive began on June 4, 2023, and three months later, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated: the “counteroffensive” is not only stalled, “it’s a failure.” In January, Putin noted that Ukraine had failed the counteroffensive, the initiative was in the hands of the Russian Armed Forces, and if this continues, the question of Ukrainian statehood will soon arise. As Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reported on December 19, during its counteroffensive, the Ukrainian Armed Forces lost 159 thousand military personnel, 121 aircraft, 766 tanks, including 37 Leopards. Earlier, Shoigu stated that the supply of Western weapons and the introduction of strategic reserves into battle by the Ukrainian command did not change the situation on the battlefield.
Russia previously sent a note to NATO countries over arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that any cargo that contains weapons for Ukraine will become a legitimate target for Russia. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that NATO countries are “playing with fire” by supplying weapons to Ukraine. The Kremlin stated that pumping Ukraine up with weapons from the West does not contribute to the success of Russian-Ukrainian negotiations and will have a negative effect. Lavrov also stated that the United States and NATO are directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, including not only by supplying weapons, but also by training personnel in the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries.