WASHINGTON: Top US military General Mark Milley claimed on Thursday that Russia would not gain a military victory in Ukraine.
Mark Milley’s comments underscored forecasts that the conflict in Ukraine is set to drag on, with neither one positioned to win a victory and no talks currently going on. “This conflict, militarily, is not going to be won by Moscow. It is just not,” he told media persons following the conclusion of an online meeting of dozens of nations that support Kyiv.
US General says Moscow will not gain military victory in Ukraine
Moscow’s original strategic aims, including overthrowing the current government in Ukraine, “are not achievable through military means, they are not going to be done,” he said.
“That suggests war is going to continue, it is going to be deadly. And at some point, both parties will either discuss a settlement, or they will come to an armed conclusion.”
Washington has organized the push for global support for Kyiv, quickly forging an alliance to back Ukraine following the Russians’ attack on Kyiv in February 2022 and coordinating assistance from dozens of nations.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said about $65 billion in military assistance has been provided to Ukraine. The US said last week that they would support providing warplanes, including F-16s jets, to Kyiv, plummeting earlier reluctance to do so.
On Thursday, Ukraine’s supporters “discussed strategies for training Ukrainian pilots on aircraft, including the F-16s,” the US Defense Secretary said alongside Mark Milley, noting that “planning and executing this training program will be an important undertaking.”
General Mark Milley explained the United States’ shift in support of giving Ukraine the jets and said “It is going to take a significant length of time to construct an air force”.
