A former US General and top NATO commander has warned that Ukraine faces defeat unless the U.S. significantly ramps up its military support against Russia.
Philip Breedlove, who led NATO operations in Europe from 2013 to 2016, argues that Ukraine is at risk of losing the war unless the United States rethinks its guidance for missile use.
“This war is going to end exactly how Western policymakers decide it will end,” said the retired four-star U.S. Air Force leader.
The message comes amid heightened military activity on the ground in Ukraine and intensified debate over the nation’s role in the conflict.
“If we keep doing what we’re doing, Ukraine will eventually lose,” Breedlove said. “Because right now [ …] we are purposely not giving Ukraine what they need to win.”
A destroyed school building in the Ukrainian town of Myrnohrad on Aug. 26, 2024, amid Russia’s invasion. Some analysts believe that allowing Ukraine to use long-range missiles against Russian targets could pressure Russia and shift the war dynamics.
GENYA SAVILOV/AFP via Getty Images
Currently, the U.S. imposes restrictions on the long-range ballistic missiles it supplies to Ukraine, preventing their use against military targets within Russia.
The Biden administration insists this approach to supplying advanced weapons to Ukraine is crucial to avoid provoking a retaliatory response from Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Democratic officials argue that carefully timing and selecting the weaponry provided is essential to prevent escalating tensions.
Some analysts concur, suggesting that a Ukrainian strike with U.S. long-range ballistic missiles could be perceived by Putin as a direct American attack.
Republican lawmakers, security analysts, and diplomats have long been in agreement with the General that these restrictions should be loosened.
As Ukraine presses forward with its offensive and Russia responds with a heavy barrage of drones and missiles, the pressure on the government is mounting to relax its cautious stance on the deployment of Western weaponry in the conflict.
In recent weeks, Ukraine has launched a daring ground offensive into Russia’s southern Kursk region, marking the first such incursion since World War II.
This move, coupled with an aggressive barrage of Russian missiles and drones, has amplified calls for the US to reconsider its approach to military assistance.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has navigated a delicate balance—expressing deep gratitude for U.S. support while also voicing frustration over the need for more arms and ammunition.
In recent weeks, he has intensified his appeals, arguing that Ukraine should be allowed to use every available weapon to fight the war.
Zelensky has once again urged the US to lift restrictions on long-range ATACMS missiles, which would enable Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory.
“A sick old man from the Red Square, who constantly threatens everyone with the red button, will not dictate any of his red lines to us,” Zelensky said recently of Putin.
Former U.S. General Philip Breedlove and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen attend his farewell ceremony as Supreme Allied Commander Europe at the German defense ministry in Berlin on April 13, 2016. He warns that Ukraine could lose if the U.S. continues its cautious support.
TOBIAS SCHWARZ/AFP via Getty Images
Josep Borrell, the EU‘s foreign affairs chief, advocates for lifting restrictions on long-range missiles, arguing that it would improve Ukraine’s defense and reduce destruction.
Lifting such restrictions “would strengthen Ukrainian self-defense, save lives and reduce destruction in Ukraine,” he wrote Monday on X (formerly known as Twitter) after Russia launched more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine. The next day, Russia launched 91 more.
Billions of dollars in U.S. military aid are once again flowing into Ukraine, and President Zelensky has responded by expanding military conscription.
I reiterate that lifting restrictions on the use of capabilities against vs the Russian military involved in aggression against Ukraine, in accordance with international law, would strengthen Ukrainian self-defence, safe lives and reduce destruction in Ukraine.
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— Josep Borrell Fontelles (@JosepBorrellF) August 26, 2024
According to Bill Taylor, a former US ambassador to Ukraine, American military leaders are revisiting the strategic vision once shared by allies for the next phase of the conflict.
Taylor, who served from 2006 to 2009, suggests that Ukraine’s focus for the remainder of the year will be on rebuilding its ground forces and enhancing its ability to inflict significant damage on Russian positions.
The goal, he explains, is to create a situation where Russia is compelled to seek a ceasefire on terms favorable to Ukraine in the coming year.
Central to this strategy is the use of long-range missile strikes against Russian targets.
“The Ukrainians should not have to give Russians a sanctuary,” he said.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
