The US Department of Defense does not believe that Ukraine will be able to achieve its goals and return the Crimean peninsula, which has been occupied by Russia since 2014, in a short period of time, the American publication Politico reported on Thursday, as quoted by EFE and Agerpres.

Politico journalists note that these findings were reported by Pentagon representatives to American lawmakers at a secret information meeting. The publication also writes that Ukraine may not like this information, which wants to return Crimea as soon as possible.

The meeting was attended by four senior officials of the US Department of Defense and congressmen from the House Armed Services Committee. It is not clear by what logic American officials came to this conclusion, notes Politico, although “the direction was clear” on this topic:

“The Pentagon does not believe that Ukraine has the ability — or will soon have the ability — to push Russian troops out of the peninsula, which Moscow seized nearly a decade ago.”

Politico reminds that the assessment of these officials coincides with the recent statements of American General Mark Milley, the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

What the most important American general said about the liberation of Ukrainian territories

“I still maintain that this year it will be very, very difficult for Russian forces to push back militarily from everywhere, from every inch of Ukraine and Russian-occupied (territories) of Ukraine,” Milley said at the official meeting.

“That doesn’t mean it can’t happen. But it will be very, very difficult,” he added.

Russian troops have occupied Crimea since 2014, when Moscow illegally annexed the peninsula, which is now dotted with air defense systems and tens of thousands of Russian soldiers.

Many of these infantry forces are protected by fortified trenches that stretch for hundreds of kilometers and face Ukrainian forces along the Dnipro River, Politico explains.

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