Representatives of the American administration advised President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky to allocate troops from Bakhmut in order to maintain strength for hostilities in other units of the country using the new armored vehicles coming to Kyiv, but Kyiv is unlikely to accept such an offer.
This was reported by CNN TV channel with reference to unnamed representatives of the US and Ukraine authorities.
According to the television channel, at a meeting with Zelensky, First Deputy Advisor to the US President for National Security, John Feiner, First Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Deputy Minister of Defense of the Country of Political Affairs Colin Color said that the United States would like to help Ukraine move away from “fierce The battles for exhaustion “in Bakhmut and instead focus on” maneuverable hostilities using fast, unexpected throws against Russian forces. ” To this end, Ukraine has been transmitted in recent weeks a large number of armored vehicles.
Sources of the TV channel, which, according to CNN, are familiar with Zelensky’s plans, claim that he does not believe that Russia “has already provided victory” in the battles of the city, and that he “does not want to give it away.”
Zelensky believes that Bakhmut’s retention will “increase the chances of Ukraine to return the whole Donbass and that the victory here Russia will open the way for it to the attack on the strategically important cities of Slavyansk and Kramatorsk.”
A separate source in the US military circles, adds CNN, also expressed skepticism regarding the possible retreat of Ukraine from under the bahmuth “not because of its military significance, but because of the strategic symbolism that it has”.
The channel indicates that in the battles for Bakhmut for Ukraine there may be a certain benefit, as it can “exhaust Russia”.