A top U.S. military leader said that Ukraine is unlikely to recover its territory from Russia this year.
Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Staff, shared the assessment this week concerning what is becoming a lengthy conflict in Europe.
Milley says Ukraine unlikely to retake all of its territory this year https://t.co/e3QYa9s9b5
— SR71 (@SR_71_A_12) April 2, 2023
“I don't think it's likely to be done in the near term for this year,” Milley said in an interview with Defense One on Friday.
“Zelensky has publicly stated many times that the Ukrainian objective is to kick every Russian out of Russian-occupied Ukraine. And that is a significant military task. Very, very difficult military task," he added.
"You're looking at a couple hundred thousand Russians who are still in Russian-occupied Ukraine. I'm not saying it can't be done. I'm just saying it's a very difficult task," Milley continued.
Mark Milley: The Russia-Ukraine war has very high M.A.D risks.https://t.co/gYpJI8Pb94
— Kris Blake🇩🇪🇮🇹🇹🇼 (@krislabert) April 2, 2023
Milley also warned the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday that the resources given to Ukraine have depleted many American military resources.
“If there was a war in the Korean Peninsula or a great power war between the United States and Russia, or the United States and China, the consumption rates would be off the charts,” he said.
“We're going back and we're reviewing all of our estimates for logistical estimates, for all of the key ammunitions or munitions that are required for the various contingency plans,” he added.
The United States has so far refrained from providing ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine, - General Mark Milley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff#StandWithUkraine #RussiaUkraineWar pic.twitter.com/t5Nr75S2Gn
— UATV English (@UATV_en) April 2, 2023
The move also comes as the U.S. continues to hold back from offering ATACMS long-range missiles to Ukraine, according to the report.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine has now passed one year, leading to millions of refugees and thousands of deaths in the former Soviet republic.
The conflict has also led to massive military support to Ukraine from the U.S. in an effort that has begun to concern some lawmakers over both the costs and the risk for America's own national security.
The ongoing conflict will continue to lead to pushback from Americans who see Ukraine as part of an unauthorized war that is hurting the nation's own economy despite the many needs of the Ukrainian people.
