New Delhi: Top US general Mark Milley on Wednesday said there is a low probability Ukraine would “kick” Russia entirely out of its territory, even as he claimed that Moscow has failed at every single objective that it aimed to achieve since the start of the war in February.
“Ukraine’s a pretty big country. The probability of Russia conquering and overrunning Ukraine is close to zero. We don’t see it happening militarily. But they currently occupy 20 per cent of Ukraine,” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley said during a press conference following a Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting.
“Military task of kicking Russia physically out of Ukraine is very difficult. It won’t happen until Russian Army completely collapses which’s unlikely. The probability of Ukrainian military victory defined as kicking Russia out anytime soon is not high,” he added.
Giving an update on the ongoing war that has entered its ninth month, Gen Milley said Ukrainians have achieved success in the ongoing war while the Russians have failed strategically, operationally and tactically.
“Across the entire frontline trace of 900 or so kilometres, the Ukrainians have achieved success after success after success, and the Russians have failed every single time. Russians lost strategically, operationally and tactically. What they tried to, they failed at it,” he said.
Despite the opportunity to end the war, Russia is using the time to regroup its forces and striking the depth and breadth of Ukraine without any military purpose, Milley said.
He said that a potential slowdown of fighting during the winter months may serve as an opportunity to work toward a political solution to the conflict.
“I think the Ukrainians should keep the pressure on the Russians to the extent they militarily can. But winter gets very, very cold, and the natural tendency is for tactical operations to naturally, probably slow down,” he added.
“If there’s a slowdown in the actual, tactical fighting, if that happens, then that may become a window – possibly, it may not – for a political solution, or at least the beginnings of talks to initiate a political solution.”
Furthermore, Gen Milley said the United States and its allies and partners believe that Ukraine needs an integrated air and missile defence system amid its conflict with Russia.
“Air defence capabilities are becoming critical for their future success. An integrated system and integrated air defence system, an integrated air and missile defence system are what is necessary, as Ukraine repels Russian aerial attacks,” Milley said.
He also said that a significant portion of the countries belonging to the Ukraine Defence Contact Group said during their meeting earlier on Wednesday that the coalition can provide “the right mix of air defence systems and ammunition to Ukraine.
Russia praises ‘measured’ US response to Poland strike
Notably, Milley’s remark came a day after Moscow praised Washington’s “measured” response after a missile landed in Poland and US President Joe Biden said it was “unlikely” that it had come from Russia.
“In this instance, attention should be paid to the measured and more professional response from the American side,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
Peskov added that “As for the incident in Poland, Russia has nothing to do with it”.
The remarks come two days after CIA director Bill Burns met his Russian counterpart Sergei Naryshkin in the Turkish capital of Ankara.
The meeting in which Ukrainian officials were not present gave rise to speculation that Moscow & Washington were working on a “peace pact.”
However, Burns has denied that the US is engaged in any secret talks with Russia, The Guardian reported.
With inputs from agencies
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