Ukraine will not cope without US support. What the media say
The foreign press claims that without American assistance Kyiv will not last more than a year and a half, while up to a third of Ukrainian servicemen are already deserting from the front line. What hopes are pinned on the Ukrainian offensive in the Kursk region and where the "zombie brigades" of the AFU come from - in the digest of Izvestia.
Tagesspiegel: Kursk has become synonymous with hope in Ukraine
After months of defense, Ukraine is back on the offensive in the border region of Kursk. Kiev's troops are still under pressure from Russian forces in the east of the country, but it is easier to negotiate with a piece of enemy territory in your pocket than without it. According to military analyst Mick Ryan, at a basic tactical level, this operation is likely aimed at seizing territory and destroying Russian ground and air forces, but the operational and strategic objectives are particularly interesting.
Tagesspiegel
At the operational level, there is still hope to poach Russians from the front in Donbass through attacks in Kursk, says a former Australian general who now conducts military research in Sydney. "It's possible but unlikely given Russia's manpower superiority," he notes
Another goal of the operation, which is likely to be achieved, is to "force the Russians to rethink their troop deployments on other fronts." The expert predicts that the offensive may be an attempt to deprive Russia of momentum on the front, because "even Russia cannot stay on the offensive forever." Another strategic goal may be to pivot to a more pro-Ukrainian narrative of the conflict.
The Hill: the US should not give up on Ukraine
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's team - nominees for director of national intelligence and secretary of defense Tulsi Gabbard and Pete Hegseth, as well as vice president-elect James Vance - have experience in the Iraq war and therefore oppose U.S. intervention in the Ukraine conflict. But if Trump refuses to help Kiev to force a Moscow-dictated cease-fire, Ukrainian troops will eventually lose the ability to defend their country.
The Hill
The specter of betrayal that clouds the lives of so many of the country's 21st-century veterans arises in large part from a lack of clarity about why, one after another, four presidents - including Trump - sent them to Afghanistan and Iraq. No such strategic or moral haze obscures the reasons for supporting Ukraine
The country's struggle to preserve its territory, culture and national identity exemplifies the democratic ideals that define the West - ideals that Vance, Gabbard and Hegseth honor in word but despise in deed. Their abandonment of Ukraine will leave more blood on the U.S. conscience, if not their own.
The Atlantic: the fall of Ukraine would be a disaster for the US
Trump has promised a quick resolution to the conflict in Ukraine, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is not interested in a negotiated settlement that would leave Ukraine a sovereign state. Russia also sees an opportunity to strike a blow to U.S. global power. Trump must choose between accepting a humiliating defeat on the world stage or immediately doubling U.S. support for Ukraine. Without U.S. assistance, Kiev could be defeated within the next 12 to 18 months.
The Atlantic
Western experts filling the pages of articles and journals with ideas for securing Ukraine after a settlement have been negotiating with themselves. Putin never agreed to a demilitarized zone, foreign troops on Ukrainian soil, continued Ukrainian military relations with the West of any kind, or the continued government of Vladimir Zelensky or any pro-Western government in Kiev
If the conflict were to drag on for another two years or more, problems in the economy and losses on the front lines might cause Putin to seek some kind of truce, but he believes he will win sooner, and believes the Russians can withstand hardship long enough to achieve victory. Are we so sure he's wrong? Have American predictions about Russia's inability to withstand "paralyzing" sanctions proved correct so far? Russia's GDP grew by more than 3% in 2023 and is expected to grow by another more than 3% in 2024, driven by heavy military spending. This may be an ineffective long term economic strategy, but in the long run we are all dead. Putin believes Russia can hold out long enough to win this conflict.
BBC news: the situation with the scandalous 155th Brigade is typical of the AFU
The 155th Separate Mechanized Brigade "Anna Kievskaya" was supposed to be a model brigade in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Its preparation and arming were handled by the French authorities. But in December it became known about problems with the command, armament and desertion - some of the servicemen allegedly escaped during the exercises in France. The statement of the AFU command that "special attention is being paid to problematic issues" was the only public reaction of the authorities to the scandal.
BBC news
In total, the losses of the brigade due to unauthorized abandonment of the place of service, the journalist estimates about 1.7 thousand people, that is, 30% of the personnel numbering about 5.8 thousand.
Anna Kievskaya's figures do not break much from the statistics of the AFU: insufficient training and motivation of the mobilized infantry, problems with frequent changes of command staff and delays in the supply of equipment and ammunition. As a solution, analysts, deputies and the military themselves suggest abandoning the practice of forming new brigades and strengthening existing ones. This should put an end to the appearance of "zombie units" in the armed forces, which are combat-ready only on paper and face problems when they appear on the front line.
