Michael Kimmage, a history professor at the Catholic University of America, told Newsweek recently that Zelensky—emboldened by Putin's recent battlefield losses—could very well try to regain control of Crimea. Budanov added that he expects Ukraine's military to make a large push against the invading Russians in the spring. According to him, those efforts could lead to what Ukraine feels would be an end to the war. In a recent interview, the head of Ukraine's military intelligence hinted at a possible end date for his country's war with Russia. I wrote about this recently, noting that we're seeing air battles daily, but pilots are rarely involved. Maybe Russia cannot provide enough troops to cover such a vast country. Ukraine's defensive forces transform into an effective insurgency, well-motivated and supported by local populations. And then, perhaps after many years, with maybe new leadership in Moscow, Russian forces eventually leave Ukraine, bowed and bloodied, just as their predecessors left Afghanistan in 1989 after a decade fighting Islamist insurgents. The recent arms donations — Kyiv still wants fighter aircraft and long-range tactical missiles — are predicated on the assumption they’ll force Moscow to end its invasion and begin negotiations because military costs are too high. When will it be over? What's it going to take to get Russia out of Ukraine? — Sam Army’s maneuver warfare school at Fort Benning, Georgia, said Western upgrades offer Ukraine the chance to dominate the close fight with Russian adversaries and conclude the tactical fighting to its advantage. The challenge now is training and equipping an armored force big enough and sophisticated enough to envelop Russia’s fighting force. Either side may act boldly if it winds up on the ropes and needs an exit strategy. This is a grinding trench and artillery war of attrition. Ukraine is assembling a force of more than 100 western Leopard 1 and 2 tanks, plus others, and a similar number of armoured vehicles that it hopes to use whenever the spring muddy season eases, to smash through Russia’s defensive lines in a D-day offensive. Maybe Russia cannot provide enough troops to cover such a vast country. Moscow has proved resourceful when it comes to building autonomy into critical goods, Lichfield explained. WASHINGTON and ROME — Germany’s promise early this year to send tanks to Ukraine marked the country’s latest concession and provided a cap to the gradual escalation in the kind of equipment allies were supplying. It is theoretically possible for the U.S. to sanction countries that maintain economic ties with Russia. The best precedent for this is perhaps the Helms–Burton Act, which extended U.S. sanctions on Cuba toward any foreign company doing business with both Cuba and the U.S. at the same time. When President Bill Clinton signed that law in 1996, several countries accused the U.S. of violating their sovereignty, passing their own laws to make the U.S. regulation effectively unenforceable. Ukraine will press Russia around Crimea More European nations are now talking about the need to step up aid in light of concerns that the US is weakening in its resolve. Russia lacks a decisive, breakthrough capability to overrun Ukraine and will do what it can to hold on to what it currently occupies, using the time to strengthen its defences while it hopes for the West to lose the will to continue supporting Ukraine. The military course of this war in 2024 will be determined in Moscow, Kyiv, Washington, Brussels, Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang more than in Avdiivka, Tokmak, Kramatorsk or any of the devastated battlefields along the frontlines. What happens on the battlefield becomes ultimately only the symptom of that struggle. The military course of this war in 2024 will be determined in Moscow, Kyiv, Washington, Brussels, Beijing, Tehran and Pyongyang more than in Avdiivka, Tokmak, Kramatorsk or any of the devastated battlefields along the frontlines. The Russian air force - which has played a low-key role so far - launches devastating airstrikes. That’s because the longer conflicts last, the more they exhaust finite resources and, hence, the parties are more willing to gamble. Russia lacks a decisive, breakthrough capability to overrun Ukraine and will do what it can to hold on to what it currently occupies, using the time to strengthen its defences while it hopes for the West to lose the will to continue supporting Ukraine. They believe some of their Western allies, as well as supporters in the media, have become over-excited about Ukraine's army and its Nato equipment. And Kyiv will likely also try to spring more military surprises on the Russian invaders to knock them off balance in some areas. It would be wrong to say that the front lines in Ukraine are stalemated, but both sides are capable of fighting each other to a standstill as they each try to take strategic initiatives. Industrial-age warfare bends significant parts, or in some cases whole economies, towards the production of war materials as matters of priority. Russia's defence budget has tripled since 2021 and will consume 30% of government spending next year. This week, Mr Putin put his nuclear forces on a higher level of alert. Most analysts doubt this means their use is likely or imminent. But it was a reminder that Russian doctrine allows for the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons on the battlefield. And even once Russian forces have achieved some presence in Ukraine's cities, perhaps they struggle to maintain control. An inability to do so could foster economic discontent capable of turning public opinion against the war, Lichfield told Defense News. However, he did not say that Ukraine would be directly behind any such attacks. It's perhaps the only thing more complicated than sanctions enforcement, and this question touches on both. Russian forces may try to push again along the entire front, at least to secure all of the Donbas region. In his mind, the communist leadership tore Ukraine from its true home in the Russian empire. Twenty million Soviets — Russians, Ukrainians and others — died fighting Hitler's armies. In other words, the war affected nearly every family here. Shortly before Russia invaded last February, less than a third of Ukrainians supported foreign boots on the ground in Ukraine. Pressure would then grow on Kyiv to negotiate – not necessarily from the west, but perhaps led by China. U.S. trainers continued working in Ukraine right up until the full-scale Russian invasion a year ago. And even though https://euronewstop.co.uk/what-is-the-uk-doing-about-ukraine.html of the Soviet Union was notable for its lack of bloodshed, many in Ukraine refer to today's conflict as a true war of independence. Many Russian nationalists, though, perceive Ukraine as a breakaway region of greater Russia. During President Putin's marathon state address on Feb. 21, he accused Western countries of attempting to deprive Russia of these historical territories that are now called Ukraine, making war the only way to protect the people in our historical lands. All these measures were approved when both the House and the Senate were controlled by Democrats. Some Republicans are saying the U.S. should stop funding Ukraine.
https://euronewstop.co.uk/what-is-the-uk-doing-about-ukraine.html
