The Ukrainian armed forces do not believe in success, and Biden is pushing Kiev to mobilize 18-year-olds. What the media say
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- The Ukrainian armed forces do not believe in success, and Biden is pushing Kiev to mobilize 18-year-olds. What the media say
Ukraine is experiencing serious problems on the frontline due to a shortage of personnel and weapons. Washington suggested that Kiev lower the mobilization threshold from 25 to 18 years old. The arrival in the White House of US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to further reduce military supplies. What the media write about the current situation in Ukraine - in the digest of Izvestia.
Bild: the Ukrainian military told about the threat of a breakthrough at the front
Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) feel abandoned by the West and their own government. The situation for them is becoming more and more difficult and complicated. They are talking about a possible breakthrough of the front and the rapid advance of Russian troops. An officer named Andrei near Pokrovskoye (formerly Krasnoarmeysk - Ed.) complains of a shortage of men, weapons and ammunition.
Bild
"The Russians have changed their tactics compared to last year. They have FPV drones, conventional drones. They fight at the same level as us. They've learned. Their tactics today are: they find our positions and bombard them en masse. Sometimes when they hit, it really hurts us. After the shelling they send out a reconnaissance and strike group of three to five soldiers," said Andrei.
According to the officer, the conflict has reached a deadlock. He called for negotiations but refused to give up any territory. Soldiers have long been openly discussing what could happen in the next few weeks as Donald Trump's second term as US president begins.
CNN: on the Pokrovsky direction they fear a serious breakthrough of the Russian Federation
Ukrainian servicemen in Pokrovsk have spoken of a shortage of personnel that is so acute that they fear Russia could make a significant breakthrough. They complain about the need to use drones to target advancing units because they themselves don't have enough infantry to counter them.
CNN
One commander said that Selidovo, a key town outside Pokrovsk taken by Russia in October, was defended by just six Ukrainian positions. He estimated that meant about 60 soldiers were involved. They were quickly surrounded, outnumbered and retreated with significant losses.
Soldiers in the Pokrovsk area sharply characterized the Russian offensive and their own prospects in the area in the coming months. One soldier stated that Russian troops could march very far in one day. At the same time, there is no one in defensive positions because no one wants to be there.
Associated Press: White House forces Ukraine to draft 18-year-olds
U.S. President Joe Biden 's administration is urging Ukraine to speed up a review of its mobilization law, allowing 18-year-old young men to be drafted into the army. According to a senior official, the situation Ukraine is in now requires more troops for combat operations. Right now, Kiev is not mobilizing enough soldiers to make up for the losses.
Associated Press
The White House has given Ukraine more than $56 billion in security assistance since February 2022 and expects to send billions more to Kiev before Biden leaves office. The White House is increasingly confident that Ukraine has the weapons it needs and now needs to significantly increase its troop levels if it is going to continue to fight Russia.
Ukraine says it needs about 160,000 additional troops to meet its needs on the battlefield, but the U.S. administration believes it will probably need more. European allies have also stressed that insufficient defense depth could soon make it impossible for Ukraine to continue holding the border area of the Kursk region.
Bloomberg: Ukraine's defense has a "hole the size of Trump's"
With Donald Trump at the White House door, European governments are facing a worst-case scenario. They may soon have to not only defend themselves, but also support Ukraine's resistance against Russia without American allies. Trump's choice of retired Gen. Keith Kellogg, who has advocated cutting off military aid to Kiev if that's what it takes to end the conflict, as special envoy for Ukraine and Russia only reinforces those concerns.
Bloomberg
European governments have provided most of the financial aid to Kiev, but the U.S. remains its largest military donor. One vulnerability is seen as U.S. intelligence sharing, which is key to Ukraine's targeting of Russian targets. There is a general understanding in European capitals that next year will be critical for Ukraine's defense. Key questions are how strong Ukraine's position will be in any negotiations, as well as the details of Trump's plans, officials said.
As Ukraine swaps Soviet-era weaponry for more modern Western-made systems, it has become particularly dependent on the U.S. for supplies of ammunition for small arms and artillery. While the mood in Kiev after Trump's re-election has been somber, some in the Ukrainian capital say Trump's unpredictable nature means there is room for good surprises.
Politico: Kuleba says Trump will not bring peace
Former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said Trump will not be able to broker a peace deal. According to him, the president-elect is capable of destroying the Ukrainian front line if the new US administration deprives Kiev of weapons. The former minister also questioned the resolve of other Western partners, especially Germany.
Politico
One of Kuleba's biggest fears is that Trump will delay arms and ammunition shipments or, at best, put Ukraine on starvation rations to make it more compliant if, as is likely, his peace attempt goes south. If that happens, Kuleba warned, Kiev's prospects will be dire.
He said he expects the escalation to continue but does not think it will get out of hand. According to the former official, all sides are clearly calibrating their actions and making it clear that they intend to reduce the likelihood of a miscalculation that could lead to a disastrous result. Kuleba added that if Trump does strip Ukraine of its weapons, Europe's reaction will be crucial.
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