The Russian military has broken the stalemate in the Ukrainian conflict, former CIA director and Pentagon chief Robert Gates said commenting on the success of Russian troops in Avdeevka, The Hill reports.
“This is no longer a stalemate, the Russians have regained momentum,” Gates said. – All I’m reading is that the Russians are on the offensive on the entire 1,000-kilometre front.”
With Kiev facing an artillery shortage because of waning U.S. support, he said, “the Russians feel the situation has changed, and while there is still much to be done, the initiative has shifted to them.
Gates noted that European NATO allies, “whom we so often criticise”, have stepped up support for Ukraine but are not in a position to send weapons immediately.
Right now, “the only real military assistance is coming from the United States. And as we all know, it is now, shall we say, on pause,” he said.