West was ‘overly optimistic’ about Ukraine in 2023 – NATO commander — RT World News
Rear Admiral Rob Bauer said ammunition and training were mistakenly believed to be enough for Kiev to win
A senior NATO commander told the Financial Times that the West overestimated Ukraine's chances of making progress on the battlefield against Russia last year. His comments came after Kiev's failed counter-offensive and the recent loss of the strategic city of Avdiivka.
In an interview published on Monday, Admiral Rob Bauer, who chairs NATO's military committee, admitted that Western powers were “Overly optimistic about war in 2023.” He appeared to be referring to Kiev's ambitious plans to break through Russian defenses and reach Crimea, which did not materialize.
Bauer, who headed the Dutch Armed Forces between 2017 and 2021, claimed that the West believes so. “If we give the Ukrainians the ammunition and training they need, they will win.” At the same time, he warned against it “Too pessimistic in 2024” Pointing out that despite recent setbacks, Ukraine remains a sovereign state.
His comments come on the heels of last week's Munich Security Conference, which largely revolved around Ukraine's military ordeal. The Financial Times reported that this year's event was starkly different from the event that will be held in 2023, claiming that “Optimism has turned into persistent depression.” The crisis was exacerbated by the realization that Kiev urgently needed large shipments of munitions, which the West was struggling to provide.
Politico reported on Sunday that several officials used the conference to insist that Ukraine would lose the conflict unless the United States approved $60 billion in additional aid, currently stalled in Congress. This measure has been blocked for several months by Republicans who have called for tighter security measures at the southern border of the United States.
According to what officials reported “It is uncertain what victory might look like for Ukraine.” Even with renewed American aid. For now, the West's plan is simply to do so “Keeping the Ukrainian army from collapsing” Politico added.
Western fears of Kiev's possible defeat were renewed after its counterattack in the summer failed to penetrate Russian lines, despite the Ukrainian army being reinforced with a massive amount of foreign equipment. The Russian Ministry of Defense estimated Kiev's losses at more than 215,000 soldiers in 2023 alone.
In another setback for Ukraine, Russian forces last week captured the fortified city of Avdiivka in Donbas. According to Moscow, Ukrainian forces made a chaotic retreat and suffered heavy losses. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky insisted the withdrawal was so “Perfectly logical” He sought to avoid heavy losses.
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