Vladimir Putin has been warned he has already lost in Ukraine after his troops faced a year of setbacks, failing to achieve Moscow’s objectives. The drawn-out conflict entered its second year today and the United States vowed to continue support for Kyiv, including ramping up production of crucial HIMARS artillery systems and 155mm shells.
Speaking at a CNN Town Hall with Ukrainians and Americans, National Security Advisor to the Biden Administration Jake Sullivan blasted Putin’s losing strategy.
“Russia has already lost this war,” he said at the event last night. “Russia’s aims in this war were to wipe Ukraine off the map, to take the capital and to eliminate Ukraine, to absorb it into Russia. They failed at doing that and they are in no position to be able to do that as we go forward.”
He added that despite the fact that Russia had tested a nuclear-capable Satan II missile over the weekend – a test the US said was a failure – Washington had seen no change in Putin’s nuclear posture.
When asked by a Ukrainian soldier named Yegor whether the US would increase its production and delivery of ammunition and weapons, including 155mm shells and HIMARS, Sullivan confirmed Washington was looking into ways to meet the demand.
The strikes have also helped to starve Russian guns. Moscow relies on a strategy of heavy artillery bombardment before sending troops into battle to attempt to seize Ukrainian positions.
Russia’s tactics, however, appear to be failing. Following a series of stunning counter offensives by Ukraine at the end of last year the frontlines have remained largely static over winter.
Putin’s generals have been focusing on attacking in the east, particularly around the city of Bakhmut. The city had a population of 70,000 before the war, now it is a shelled-out ghost town.
Russia has also been employing the assistance of the shadowy mercenary group Wagner which has been launching human wave attacks in the area after a prison recruitment drive topped up its numbers by thousands.
Both sides appear to be gearing up for a wider spring offensive. In preparation, the West has pledged increased its support.
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The US, UK, Germany and other European countries have begun to train Ukrainians on their main battle tanks to assist in the offensive.
Some of those tanks, notably Challenger 2s from the UK and Leopard 2s from Europe, could be in Ukraine as soon as March.
On the diplomatic front, President Biden visited the embattled Ukrainian capital Kyiv earlier this week, walking with Volodymyr Zelensky under the howl of air raid sirens in a show of solidarity.
What was supposed to be a 10-day offensive for Russia has turned into a bloody year-long struggle which has cost both sides tens of thousands of lives. Still, Putin appears no closer to achieving his objectives than when he launched the invasion one year ago today.
