The Ukrainian army will have to go on a counteroffensive, whether it is ready for it or not, because the further support of the Ukrainian forces by the West depends on this offensive.
According to the publication, US intelligence does not assess the chances of the Ukrainian army and believes that Kyiv will achieve only “modest territorial acquisitions.”
And The Times points out that Kiev has no choice but to go on the offensive to retain Western support as Zelensky must demonstrate what Washington calls a “return on investment.”
Ukraine will set itself the goal of recapturing Melitopol, which would cut off the land route between Crimea and Russia, or Donetsk, which is more symbolic.
The New York Times pointed out that with no major gains for Ukrainian forces on the front after 14 months of continuous, attrition fighting, Western support for Ukraine could wane.
Source: agencies