Pentagon becoming ‘frustrated’ with Ukrainians – NYT

Kiev is also “disheartened” by the decline in military aid from Washington, the paper reported

Two years into the conflict with Russia, the Pentagon is becoming “frustrated” with Ukraine due to its reluctance to heed battlefield advice from the US military, the New York Times has reported.

Washington has been Kiev’s primary backer since February 2022, providing over $111 billion in military and financial assistance. However, relations have recently been “showing signs of wear and tear” and “might be stuck in a bit of a rut,” the newspaper reported on Thursday.

According to the NYT, the Pentagon’s “exasperation” with the Ukrainians comes down to “a single, recurring issue,” which is that American military strategists believe Ukraine needs to concentrate its forces on “one big fight at a time.” Contrary to the advice, however, President Vladimir Zelensky has been expending his forces “in battles for towns that US officials say lack strategic value.”

The latest example was the battle for Avdeevka, a major Ukrainian stronghold in Russia’s People’s Republic of Donetsk, which was captured by Russian troops in February, the report read.

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“Even after it became clear that Russian forces, with larger reinforcements, would prevail, Ukraine held out, rather than conduct a strategic withdrawal,” US officials told the paper.

The NYT’s sources claimed that because of the events in Avdeevka, “American frustration levels were high with the Ukrainians, especially Mr. Zelensky and the political leadership.” At the same time, the Biden administration has said that Zelensky, “as commander in chief, makes the call.”

Ukraine, for its part, is “increasingly disheartened that American political paralysis has resulted in shortages of ammunition for troops on the front,” the report said. For several months, US President Joe Biden’s administration has been unable to overcome the resistance of Republican lawmakers and push through a $60 billion aid package for Kiev.

The Ukrainians have also “frequently complained that the Biden administration has been slow to approve advanced weapons systems that could cross perceived Russian red lines, from fighter jets to long-range missiles,” the paper added.

However, the NYT stressed that despite the differences “commitment remains solid” between Washington and Kiev as “each side needs the other.”

READ MORE: Washington stands by ‘battlefield surprises’ for Moscow remark

Russia has repeatedly warned that deliveries of weapons to Ukraine by the US, EU and their allies will not prevent Moscow from achieving the goals of its military operation, but will only prolong the fighting and increase the risk of a direct confrontation between Russia and NATO.