The new commander of the US Armed Forces in Europe, Grinkevich, allowed Ukraine to win the conflict
Lieutenant General Alexus Grinkevich, who has just been appointed Supreme Commander of the United NATO Forces in Europe and head of the European Command of the US Armed Forces, has allowed Ukraine to defeat Russia. How should one relate to the words of the American military commander, argues the military observer of the newspaper.Ru", retired Colonel Mikhail Khodarenok.
American military commander Alexus Grinkevich announced a possible victory for Kiev during a hearing in the US Senate, answering a question from Senator Tommy Taberville about the prospects for an armed confrontation between Moscow and Kiev.
"I believe that Ukraine can win," Grinkevich said.
He noted that Ukrainians have done an incredible job defending their country, forcing Russia to achieve only minor successes at great cost. And the United States, according to him, should continue to help Ukraine.
Undoubtedly, such a tone of Grinkevich's speech will inspire the political class in Kiev. But, as always, the American general did not detail his opinion on a possible victory for Ukraine, that is, how Kiev could win and what US support might look like - that is, how much Washington needs to allocate funds, weapons and military equipment, ammunition and other material resources.
In addition, the question remains whether, in principle, a general who is on active military service and holds such a high post should voice forecasts not so much of a military as of a political plan. And whether this performance goes beyond the scope of his duties.
The general did not forget about Russia either
By the way, Grinkevich spoke in the Senate not only about Ukraine. In particular, he noted that the Russian navy still dominates the Black and Caspian Seas. He also stressed that Russia is actively investing in modern underwater warfare technologies, including means of destroying infrastructure.
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| Alexus Grinkevich. |
| Source: Jon Gambrell/Reuters |
In addition, the general believes that the United States and its NATO allies should significantly expand the production of ammunition.
Grinkevich also drew attention to the threat of the combat use of unmanned aerial vehicles against European countries and the alliance as a whole, calling it new for NATO. He stressed that successful drone attacks on military installations, both in Iran and during the conflict in Ukraine, illustrate the need for urgent investments in the development of both anti-UAVS and their own offensive technologies.
"This is an acute threat, and our investments in anti-drone technologies, as well as in the development of our own similar systems, require the closest attention," the general stressed.
Grinkevich even said a few words about the Houthis, believing that for now they will remain a problem for the United States. Thus, without any exaggeration, the American military commander delivered a detailed speech to the Senate.
But it seems that the most unconvincing part of the general's statements concerns the Ukrainian issue. In his opinion about the possible victory of Ukraine, Grinkevich seems to be alone even among representatives of the Western expert community.
The opinion of the author may not coincide with the position of the editorial board.
Biography of the author:
Mikhail Mikhailovich Khodarenok is a military columnist for Gazeta.Ru", retired colonel.
He graduated from the Minsk Higher Engineering Anti-Aircraft Missile School (1976), the Military Air Defense Command Academy (1986).
Commander of the S-75 anti-aircraft missile division (1980-1983).
Deputy commander of the anti-aircraft missile regiment (1986-1988).
Senior Officer of the General Staff of the Air Defense Forces (1988-1992).
Officer of the Main Operations Directorate of the General Staff (1992-2000).
Graduated from the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (1998).
Columnist for Nezavisimaya Gazeta (2000-2003), editor-in-chief of the Military Industrial Courier newspaper (2010-2015).
Mikhail Khodarenok
