The West was ‘overly optimistic’ about Russia's war against Ukraine in 2023 - NATO admiral
Read NV on Google
Western countries were "overly optimistic" about Russia's war against Ukraine in 2023, Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of NATO's Military Committee, said, the Financial Times reported.
The West had a belief that arming Ukrainians with ammunition and training would lead them to victory. NATO now needs to be cautious and avoid becoming overly pessimistic about 2024, he said.
"The fact that Ukraine is still a sovereign state and that Ukrainians have regained 50% of what Russia seized in 2022, is great," the admiral emphasized.
Ukrainian counteroffensive - What's known
Ukrainian officials announced a spring 2023 counteroffensive by its Defense Forces, as Western nations formed a tank coalition and transferred their first modern tanks to Ukraine.
Western media at that time reported that Ukraine had launched a counteroffensive, citing attacks by the Armed Forces along the front lines in the country's southeast. The reports also indicated significant losses of equipment.
Later, Western media sources published reports claiming that the Ukrainian Armed Forces were advancing slower than expected, in particular, because the Russians had reinforced defensive positions. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also admitted that progress was slower than hoped.
Western media at the end of July reported that Ukraine had revised its counteroffensive tactics in response to setbacks during the initial phase.
There was growing discussion about the stalled Ukrainian counteroffensive in the fall, as the Armed Forces had failed to achieve any major advances on the front lines in recent months.
Bloomberg wrote that Ukraine was disappointed that some allies had underestimated the scale of the battlefield and the strength of Russia's defense, which hindered Ukraine's counteroffensive.
The military war may be swinging in our favor, but the information war continues.
Just as an army needs soldiers, so does a free society need its journalists to ensure that people have access to honest, trustworthy voices to understand the world around them.
For the past five years, The New Voice of Ukraine has been working tirelessly to push back against Russian narratives and defend democracy. But we cannot do it alone.
Please consider supporting us on Patreon for just $5 a month – your donation does directly to supporting journalists and ensuring that this front of the infowar says solid and defended.
Thank you.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Google News
