Ukraine is currently in a position on the battlefield where it is “grinding down” Russian forces and has the necessary tools to achieve success in 2025, which the US administration considers a pivotal year in the war, according to US Deputy National Security Advisor Jonathan Finer during an online discussion with the Chatham House audience as reported by the Voice of America.
“At the end of 2024 and beginning of 2025, Ukraine is in a position on the battlefield where they are grinding down Russia.
While Russia is achieving some gradual successes in eastern Ukraine, these have far less strategic importance than what was expected from Russia in the initial period of the war,” Finer noted.
Finer emphasized the massive casualties Russia is sustaining for these incremental battlefield gains, citing approximately 1,000 killed and wounded per day. Drawing a stark comparison, he pointed out that Russian forces sometimes suffer as many casualties in two weeks as the United States experienced throughout the entire Iraq War in terms of killed and wounded.
The White House representative also highlighted that Russia’s recent battlefield successes leading into 2025 have been highly limited. He noted that in the past month, before the transition to a new administration, the United States has:
- Allocated additional resources to Ukraine “to continue this success”
- Implemented a significant package of new economic pressure measures against Russia targeting the financial sector
- Provided Ukraine access to $20 billion in revenue from Russian assets to maintain basic economic solvency
Finer announced that additional economic measures against Russia would be implemented in the coming days. He stressed that the next US administration would determine whether the United States continues to support Ukraine’s battlefield advantage and maintain economic pressure on Russia, potentially leading to negotiations “from a position of strength.”
The White House emphasized that Ukraine must make its own decisions regarding peace negotiations, which has been the current administration’s position.
“Our approach has been to prepare Ukrainians to be in the strongest position if and when they decide to enter these negotiations. This idea underlies everything we’ve done, including the surge in assistance we’ve provided in recent weeks before the transition to the new administration,” Finer added.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has arrived in Germany to lead the Ukraine Defense Contact Group before leaving his position. The US is expected to announce its final military aid package to Kyiv under the Biden administration during this meeting.
The coordination of the “Ramstein” group for providing military assistance to Ukraine is considered one of Lloyd Austin’s key achievements as Pentagon chief, as the war enters what many consider a critical phase in early 2025.
Read more:
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- Greece to send 24 aging Sea Sparrow missiles for Ukraine’s air defense
- AP: US prepares $ 1.25 billion military package for Ukraine before transition
