This month, 1,000 people chose to support the Kyiv Independent. Can we count on you, too?
Become a member
Skip to content
Edit post

ISW: Western officials should not overstate Russia's failures in Ukraine

by Abbey Fenbert December 23, 2023 5:06 AM 2 min read
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference at the State Department on Dec. 20, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
This audio is created with AI assistance

Western officials should be wary of public comments that suggest Russia has already been defeated in Ukraine, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) wrote in its Dec. 22 report.

In recent days, high-ranking Western officials have made public comments emphasizing Russia's strategic failures in Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Dec. 22 that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin "has lost Ukraine altogether." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken made similar comments on Dec. 20, saying Russia has already failed to meet its key aim of conquering Ukraine.

As military aid to Ukraine stalls and the country girds itself for a difficult winter at war, these comments may suggest that Western support for Ukraine is not urgently needed, the ISW warns.

"Russian information space actors will likely continue to exploit Western statements regarding the failure of Russian operations in 2023 and falsely frame such statements as indicators that Western leaders intend to stop supporting Ukraine," analysts said.

The report pointed out that Vadym Skibitskyi, a representative of Ukraine's Military Intelligence (HUR), rejected the idea that Russia has already lost the war.

"Putin's goals ... have not been achieved either in 2022 or 2023. He is simply postponing them to the next year," Skibitskyi said.

The ISW agreed with Skibitskyi's assessment that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin will continue to pursue his military objectives despite enormous losses.

"[T]he current failure of Russian operations in Ukraine thus far is not a permanent condition," the ISW said.

The ISW wrote on Dec. 17 that Putin believes a full Ukrainian surrender is still possible and that Western support is wavering. Putin himself reaffirmed his maximalist ambitions in a news conference on Dec. 14.  

"There will be peace when we achieve our goals," he said.

Editorial: Why we don’t avoid ‘unpleasant’ stories about Ukraine
We’ve got some bad news. In fact, we’ve got plenty of bad news. As well as some good news, and a handful of regular news. As with any media publication, we cover many topics and developments, both upsetting and inspiring. But lately, we have seen a worrying trend
Let’s see how far we can go?
We’ve been amazed by your support. We’ve reached our initial goal of finding 1,000 new paying members. We still have till the end of our birthday campaign — with more support, we can do even more good journalism. Over 13,000 people are standing behind us. Can we count on you, too?
Show us support this birthday month
Become a member
visa masterCard americanExpress

News Feed

MORE NEWS

Editors' Picks

Enter your email to subscribe
Please, enter correct email address
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required

Subscribe

* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Subscribe
* indicates required
Explaining Ukraine with Kate Tsurkan
* indicates required
Successfuly subscribed
Thank you for signing up for this newsletter. We’ve sent you a confirmation email.