OUR Russia lost at the strategic, operational and tactical level war which takes place in UkraineThis was stated today to journalists by US Chief of Staff General Mark Milley after a meeting with their countries’ defense ministers. NATO in Brussels.

“Putin thought he would quickly defeat Ukraine, destroy NATO and get away with it. He made a mistake. Ukraine remains free and independent. NATO and its allies have become even stronger. Russia is now a global pariah, and the world continues to be inspired by the courage and fortitude of Ukrainians. In short, Russia lost. He lost at the strategic, operational and tactical levels. And he pays a huge price for it on the battlefield,” said Mark Milley.

‘No signs’ of new airstrike

It is also noted that after meeting with his counterparts from countries allied to Ukraine in Brussels, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that there are currently no signs that Russia is gathering aircraft for a possible larger air attack.

“As for whether Russia is gathering its aircraft for a massive air strike, we are not seeing this right now,” Austin said.

“We know that Russia has a significant number of aircraft in service (…) That is why we stressed that we must do everything possible to ensure that Ukraine receives as many air defense capabilities as possible,” he added.

In the “critical phase” of the war in the spring

In recent months, events on the eastern Ukrainian front have slowed down, with neither side gaining the upper hand. Biden administration officials believe that the war will enter a “critical phase” in the spring, when a new Russian attack is expected and, as a result, a counterattack by the Ukrainian side in an attempt to regain lost territories.

The Americans have already shared with the Ukrainian side their assessments of the criticality of the coming months. At the same time, Biden and his staff want to signal to Vladimir Putin that the West’s resolve to support Ukraine remains unwavering.

Some analysts, however, warn that neither Russia nor Ukraine is likely to gain a significant military advantage in the near future.

^{According to Reuters, Washington Post, APE – MEB}