West Increasingly 'Sober' About Ukraine's Ability To Retake Territory - Reports

Ukraine's Western allies are increasingly "sober" about Kiev's ability to retake significant territory from Russia as the counteroffensive is going slower than expected, CNN reported on Tuesday citing senior US and Western officials

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th August, 2023) Ukraine's Western allies are increasingly "sober" about Kiev's ability to retake significant territory from Russia as the counteroffensive is going slower than expected, CNN reported on Tuesday citing senior US and Western officials.

According to a senior Western diplomat, it is "extremely, highly unlikely" that Ukraine will be able to change the balance of the conflict and make some progress.

"Our briefings are sobering. We're reminded of the challenges they face," Rep. Mike Quigley, an Illinois Democrat who recently returned from meetings in Europe with US commanders training the Ukrainian armed forces was quoted as saying. "This is the most difficult time of the war."

Another senior Western diplomat is skeptical that Ukrainian forces would break through Russian defense lines as they have not been able to do so over the past eight weeks since the beginning of the counteroffensive, the report said.

A senior US military official notably said that the failures of Ukrainian forces on the ground are the main reason for the increased frequency of strikes inside Russia, which are meant to shift the focus and expose the alleged vulnerability of Russia.

Ukraine launched its much-touted counteroffensive in early June after multiple postponements. The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly said that Ukrainian troops are trying to advance in the South Donetsk, Bakhmut, and Zaporizhzhia directions, but without success. Western media also noted the weak results of Kiev's counteroffensive, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy admitting that the progress is "slower than desired."