It's becoming increasingly apparent that Ukraine is nothing more than a sacrificial proxy pawn in a global game of chess, with NATO consistently misrepresenting the ongoing collapse of the Ukrainian military's defensive posture. The government bombardment of the American public with war propaganda is far more impressive than any bombardment that Ukraine has engaged in the past few weeks.
On Tuesday the Washington Post reported that US officials are piling the pressure on Ukraine to make a breakthrough against Russian forces, following weeks of bleak headlines. At the same time, US General Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the media that the Ukraine counter offensive was 'far from failure' but will be 'long and bloody.'
It is hard to tell if this rhetoric is for the benefit of the American populace or if it is designed to give false optimism to Ukrainians, but the counter-offensive is now officially a month old and NATO backed forces have gained a mere 35 square miles of ground along a massive 930 mile front line. By every measure of military doctrine, this constitutes a scrapped offensive.
Vladimir Putin argued this exact point this week, with Russia looking far less unstable than the western media has been suggesting. Putin also commented on the US shipments of cluster bomb munitions to Ukraine which he says would force Russia to escalate to the use of similar weapons.
To look at the situation in Ukraine from a purely strategic perspective outside of political goggles, there is no longer any momentum for NATO efforts in the region. Any suggestion otherwise is simply disinformation. In the meantime, Russia can continue to hold the ground it has already gained while preparing for further incursion (if that is their intent). The US and European population has shown minimal interest in engaging in a ground war with Russia, which leaves only monetary support and weapons support. Without an influx of new troops, Ukraine will lose.
It may be time for NATO to accept this inevitability and shift to a diplomatic solution. Further escalation only draws the world closer to a catastrophic outcome.
