US Says Ukraine War Not a Stalemate

A top US official said Tuesday that the war in Ukraine has not bogged down into a stalemate, amid increasing concerns about the slow territorial gains of Kyiv’s counteroffensive.

“No, we do not assess that the conflict is a stalemate,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in reply to a reporter’s question.

He called the situation “dynamic,” with both Russian and Ukrainian forces on the defensive and offensive at the same time, depending on the location on the lengthy battlefront.

“Russia will attack in places and they are attacking. But of course Ukraine is also attacking, Ukraine is also making gains,” he said, notably in the south.

He described Ukraine’s counteroffensive as methodical and adapting to challenges, and said Kyiv’s generals also need to fight “sustainably” to be able to pressure Russian forces over the longer run.

Sullivan said the United States remains fully committed to supporting Kyiv’s fight, even as he would not predict how the most recent efforts will unfold.

“We need to continue to move the fundamental elements of both defence and offence, in particular the artillery ammunition and the mobility that Ukraine needs to be able to both hold ground and take ground,” he said.

“I cannot handicap or predict how things will end up unfolding in the course of this war,” Sullivan added.

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“But we are continuing to support Ukraine in its counteroffensive efforts.”