Afghan Voice Agency (AVA): The war in Ukraine will enter its third year in mid-winter, and with the continuation of Western arms aid, not only is there still no prospect of ending the war, but tensions are increasing and Ukrainian forces are struggling with more difficult conditions on the battlefield.
The Washington Post newspaper, citing statements by American officials, wrote in a report that: "Many American officials are currently saying that Ukraine will enter negotiations with Russia to end the war in the next few months and will probably be forced to cede its territory during such negotiations. Meanwhile, the US President's recent policies, including authorizing Ukraine to use long-range missiles to attack Russian territory, put Kiev in the strongest possible position in potential negotiations."
The American media outlet adds about the recent controversial decision of US President Joe Biden: "Biden's change of position, which previously refrained from taking measures such as authorizing the use of long-range weapons to attack deep inside Russian territory due to escalating tensions and fear of confrontation with Russia, has led to positive and negative comments from European allies; some of them believe that Ukraine needs such advantages in the coming weeks, while others question Biden's hesitation in issuing this authorization and say why the US President did not take such action sooner."
"Kurt Volker", former US special representative for Ukraine negotiations and US ambassador to NATO under George W. Bush, former US president, said: “These changes are long overdue and Biden may have made Russia stronger by delaying them.”
The war in Ukraine, now in its third year of winter, has entered a new phase of tension after Ukraine’s Western allies agreed to allow the country to use long-range missiles such as the American Atacama and the British Storm Shadow.
These developments and the escalation of tensions in the war in Ukraine come as Russia has been warning the West for months that if Washington allows Ukraine to fire American, British and French missiles deep into Russia, Moscow would consider those NATO members directly involved in the war in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in October that Moscow would respond to Ukrainian attacks with American-made weapons deep into Russia.
The dire situation in Ukraine from the perspective of the White House
There are allegations that North Korean troops are being sent to Russia to fight the Ukrainian armed forces. The United States and other Western backers of Ukraine have allowed the country to target Western long-range weapons deep inside Russia. In return, Moscow has targeted a Ukrainian arms factory with a new medium-range missile, and Biden has promised to send anti-personnel mines to Ukraine, mines known for their high rate of civilian casualties.
“Biden’s controversial decision to send anti-personnel mines to Ukraine shows that the White House views the current situation as serious,” the Washington Post quoted US officials as saying.
“There is no doubt that Biden was alone in making big decisions like the Atacama missiles, the F-16s and the strike deep inside Russia,” said Ivo Daalder, NATO ambassador under former US President Barack Obama.
The American newspaper continues the report on the same issue: “But Biden’s fear of escalating tensions with Russia has also strongly influenced his decisions to limit the arms provided to Kiev. This fear has often been reinforced by US intelligence agencies.”
According to ISNA, Ukrainian officials have repeatedly complained that the US habit of initially fearing to send weapons and then providing a positive response in this regard has caused the intended weapons to “not be as effective and efficient as expected.”
The war in Ukraine will enter its third year in February 2025 and there is still no prospect of peace in the country; of course, US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to have plans to end the war in Ukraine, as he himself promised to end it, although no official plan has yet been presented by the president’s team, which will officially enter the White House in January after the inauguration ceremony.
At the end of the report, the Washington Post quotes American officials as writing: "When the Ukrainians requested the use of long-range Atacama missiles to strike deep into Russian territory, the US State Department quickly welcomed the request, but the Pentagon and the White House opposed the request because they feared a escalation."