"Results of Russian offensives are approaching zero; they are paying dearly for every kilometre," - Vance
US Vice-President J.D. Vance stated that the Russians currently find themselves in a situation where their offensive operations are not yielding significant success. Russian troops are paying a high price for minimal advances.
He made this statement in an interview with The Sunday Times, according to Censor.NET.
On the Ukrainian counter-offensive of 2023
Vance noted that, whilst analysing the war between Russia and Ukraine, he immediately saw what he considered to be obvious: given the widespread use of drones and surveillance technology, it would have been more sensible for Ukraine to entrench itself in its positions and wear Russia down, rather than launch costly offensive operations aimed at recapturing the occupied territories.
"Looking back at the summer of 2023, the main point of contention at the time was whether Ukraine should attempt a large-scale counter-offensive. Virtually the entire Western world, including President Biden, put pressure on the Ukrainians to launch a large-scale counter-offensive, which, as it later turned out, proved to be a strategic and tactical disaster," said the US Vice-President.
The effectiveness of Ukraine’s defence tactics
According to him, the Trump administration believes that Ukraine should focus as much as possible on defence whilst continuing negotiations.
"This approach has proved far more successful, as it is easier to defend than to attack. It has enabled the Ukrainians to make slightly better use of their tactical advantage. To be honest, the Russians are now in a situation where what they can achieve through prolonged offensive operations is negligible – and approaching zero. This may well create the space we need to see this through to the end," said Vance.
The politician emphasised that the Russians are paying dearly for every square kilometre they capture. According to Vens, this is the result of the US and NATO encouraging Ukraine to shift its strategy towards effective defence.
