Western officials believe that Russia has already lost the war because it has failed in its primary goal of subduing Ukraine, arguing that Ukraine’s progress on the battlefield is not a measure of its overall success.
Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday, the officials acknowledged that Ukraine’s progress had been gradual and slower than expected two months ago because of Russia’s well-prepared defenses, but said Moscow had already lost regardless of the turf battles, CNN reported.
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“This may be a very long fight for territory, but in terms of the war and what Russia wanted to achieve, Russia lost and Russia is a declining power,” one official said. “This idea that somehow Russia can win even if it keeps the territory it has and that’s a victory is insane. Russia has strengthened NATO, expanded it with countries like Finland and Sweden, put Ukraine on the path to joining NATO and the EU,” the official added.
“I think if you’re Putin, you’re basically betting that Donald Trump is going to win the next election, and that’s a pretty long phase. It is far away. Meanwhile, Prigozhin’s rebellion would not have happened if the war was going well in Ukraine,” another official said.
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Rating 3.2 from 49 votes.
2023-09-07 15:01:00
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