Retired Gen. Jack Keane was one of the first to come out of the gate to say that Ukraine has no chance to win. This was before the invasion began in late February, but we all knew it was coming. He did say that the Ukrainians will mount a fierce defense. They would fight bravely but would be ultimately overwhelmed by Russian forces. They were thought to have “superior” weapons and tactics. They do control the skies, but this war has ground to a halt. Russia has not checked off any of its strategic goals in the first wave of this operation. Russian armor has run out of gas. The 40-mile-long convoy has been idle. They’re not moving. Javelins have inflicted massive casualties on Russian mechanized forces. They can’t go any further. They don’t have the men or the materials to do so.
The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv was supposed to fall within days. It remains in Ukrainian hands weeks later. The city of Kherson was the first to fall. The Russians have now reportedly lost strategic control. This is good news for the Ukrainians who have successfully bogged down Russian forces. That’s partially due to their communications issue. Russian secure communications failed so they went single channel which can be jammed. Cell phones cannot be used so Russian forces are taking mobile phones from Ukrainians. Several Russian generals have been killed by snipers, which exposes the flawed command structure of the Russian military. There are no non-commissioned officers so there’s no initiative taken until the top general says…anything.
So, what does Gen. Keane say now? He thinks the Ukrainians can win (via NY Post):
Retired four-star US army Gen. Jack Keane said Sunday he believes Ukrainians have a good chance of defeating Russia — while claiming the White House has been encouraging Ukraine to “make a deal’’ with Moscow to end the war.
“Ukrainians [can] actually … win,” said Keane, speaking on John Catsimatidis’s WABC radio show.
But “I think we’re very much at war. It’s going to continue for some time,” he said.
Keane added that an “excellent source” told him President Biden’s administration has been encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to “make a deal” with the Russians, which he called “shameful.” His claim has not been independently verified.
“The Russians have been fought to a standstill by the Ukrainian military. They are actually conducting limited counterattacks and taking territory back. The [Russian] ground attack has stalled. They still haven’t taken a major city,” he said, assessing the Russians’ current military position.
He suggested that the US and NATO adopt the mindset that Ukraine can beat the Russians and support them in their fight.
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Yes, it’s going to be a long slog. We’ll get a better picture in April. Russian forces are redeploying. Fresh troops are supposedly going to be entering the fray. Let’s see what happens.
Russian troops attack own commanding officer, running him over with tank, after suffering heavy losses: report https://t.co/ASxTCxUUA5 pic.twitter.com/1Nd4efNTrH
— The Hill (@thehill) March 25, 2022
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