Putin’s military gains raise fears Ukraine will fall: Former ambassador

Former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul is “nervous” about the current state of the war in Ukraine, saying the “dead end” conflict could raise concerns about Ukraine’s ability to maintain its position on the battlefield.

“He’s basically been stuck for several months, and that makes me nervous,” McFaul told former Obama adviser David Axelrod on Thursday’s Ax Files podcast episode. “That makes me nervous about the ability of the Ukrainians to hold and keep us engaged over a long period of time.”

It has been more than a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, and while the Ukrainian resistance has managed to repel the Kremlin’s attacks, Russia has recently made some gains in the Bakhmut region on the front lines of the war.

On Thursday, Russia launched a wide-ranging hypersonic attack, involving 81 missiles, in one of the largest airstrikes in recent weeks. More than half of these missiles hit their target, suggesting that Moscow has been able to improve its success rate with its new long-range Kinzhal missiles.

The Kinzhals were originally developed to help Russia breach US missile defense systems. The US is currently struggling to develop and deploy similar hypersonic missiles.

McFaul, who served five years under the Obama administration, said that while he applauded the Biden administration for its response to the war, the battle is not over.

“Nobody remembers who won the war the first year, they remember who won the war the last year,” McFaul said, adding that Ukrainians themselves need the conflict to be resolved quickly.

“The Ukrainians don’t think time is on their side,” the former ambassador said. “They don’t want a long war because they don’t think they can afford a long war—one because they’re going to run out of soldiers and two, they’re worried that they’re going to run out of support from the West.”

Considering the Ukrainian’s own perspective on the war, McFaul said the Biden administration should do more to help Ukraine defend itself.

Although some have raised concerns about Ukraine’s ability to fend off Moscow for long, US intelligence officials say Russia is unlikely to make “significant” gains unless it receives an influx of arms from China or announces a new plan soldiers. .

Testifying before the Senate Intelligence Committee on Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said the “incremental” progress Russia has made was not “strategic,” resulting in personnel and ammunition shortages for Moscow.

“Unless Russia institutes mandatory mobilization and locates significant third-party munitions supplies, it will become increasingly difficult for them to maintain even their current level of offensive operations,” Haynes told lawmakers. “We don’t see the Russian military recovering enough this year to make big territorial gains.”

However, as McFaul reported, Haynes said time will be a key factor in the outcome of the war.

“Putin likely figures that time is working in his favor and that prolonging the war, including possible ceasefires, may be the best way to finally secure Russia’s strategic interests in Ukraine, even if it takes years.” , he said.

Newsweek contacted the Ukrainian military for comment.