kyiv has “significant combat power that has not yet been committed” and is currently preserving it, said the American chief of staff.
After the end of the Ukrainian grain agreement, the reactions were numerous, showing a worried but also divided international community. On the ground, Moscow claimed a rare mile-and-a-half advance, and Washington felt it was “way too soon” to say whether the Ukrainian counter-offensive was a failure or not.
kyiv still has “significant” reserves for its counter-offensive, according to Washington
Asked about a possible stalemate in the Ukrainian counter-offensive, US Chief of Staff Mark Milley said the Ukrainians were facing Russian soldiers who had time to establish strong defenses, including formidable minefields, barbed wire or trenches.
>> War in Ukraine: how the Russian army developed gigantic lines of defense
Kyiv is endowed “of significant combat power which has not yet been committed” and currently preserves it, estimated Mark Milley. “They are advancing through these minefields, slowly, deliberately and steadily, and it is an uphill battle.” For him he is “way too soon” to say if this counter-offensive is a failure. “It’s going to be long, it’s going to be difficult, and it’s going to be bloody”he added.
“Offensive operations” in Kupyansk
The Russian army reported a rare advance of a kilometer and a half on Tuesday. “In the Kupyansk area, the units of the group West successfully continuing offensive operations (…) The total advance was up to two kilometers in front and up to one and a half kilometers in depth”said the Russian Defense Ministry.
He also indicated that he had touched, in Odessa, the sites used by kyiv to prepare the attack the day before against the important Crimean bridge. “Overnight, the Russian Armed Forces launched a retaliatory strike (…) on facilities where terrorist acts against Russia were being prepared using naval drones”the ministry said.
The G20 divided over the conflict in Ukraine
The situation in Ukraine deeply divides the international community. Gathered in India, the leaders of the G20 did not find a compromise, due in particular to differences over the conflict in Ukraine. They failed to agree “because'[ils n’ont] still no common language on the war between Russia and Ukraine”explained Nirmala Sitharaman, the Indian Minister of Finance, who chaired the meeting.
The G20 discussions ended the day after Moscow refused to extend the agreement authorizing Ukrainian grain exports through the Black Sea. A decision condemned by “several members” of the G20, assured the Indian minister. The South African finance minister expressed concern about a likely impact on food prices, which would affect “more heavily” the poorest countries. “What keeps me awake at night is the mistrust that silently divides the North and the South of the planet at a time when we need to unite”said the president of the World Bank.
The end of the Ukrainian grain agreement worries the international community
“I urge stakeholders to resolve the issues to allow the resumption of the continued and safe passage of grain and fertilizers from Ukraine and Russia to regions in need, including Africa”said the Chairperson of the African Union Commission.
“He decided to make a weapon out of food (…) I think it’s a huge mistake”, said Emmanuel Macron, who spoke in English, at the end of a summit in Brussels (Belgium) between the leaders of the countries of the European Union and Latin America. Ending the grain agreement shows that “the king is naked, not to say the tsar”added the head of state in another response, in French.
The final declaration of the leaders gathered in Brussels was less incisive. They expressed their “deep concern about the ongoing war against Ukraine”, without however mentioning Moscow. Even this minimal formulation could not be endorsed unanimously, Nicaragua refusing to associate itself with it. The drafting of this press release, in which the Europeans wanted to include a reference to Russian aggression, gave rise to lengthy discussions, before and during this summit of Heads of State and Government of the EU and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean (CELAC) which was held Monday and Tuesday in the Belgian capital.