Neither side is backing down from conflict, says senior NATO official

A NATO intelligence official said on Monday that signs are pointing to an imminent stalemate in Russia’s war against Ukraine, with Russian ground forces unable to advance and combat aircraft unable to achieve air superiority. about Ukraine.

“If we are not already at an impasse, we are rapidly approaching one,” the official told reporters during a conversation at NATO headquarters. “And that’s quite a thing to say when you consider the disparity in strength when this fight started.”

“You don’t get to this point if you don’t make a series of mistakes,” the official added.

The official noted that a standoff is particularly dangerous, however, given that Russia has resorted to using less accurate and more brutal weapons against civilian targets since its campaign stalled.

“Will the Ukrainians give up? Do not. And they were very clear that they are not going to give up,” the official said. “So what happens when you have these two forces working against each other like this?”

Russia is also not backing down despite its losses, the official said. In recent days, Russian forces have continued to gather reinforcements and try to improve logistical support in Kiev and in the southern operational directions, the official said.

Meanwhile, the Belarusian government is “preparing the environment to justify an offensive against Ukraine,” the official added. Ukrainian officials have publicly warned that Belarus could enter the war.

The NATO assessment remains that Russia’s main objective is still to capture the Ukrainian capital and force a change of government there, as well as to force Ukraine to adopt a neutral stance with NATO and demilitarize. “I don’t think Putin backed down on any of his goals,” the official concluded.