There is a sense in the administration of US President Joe Biden that the next few months in Ukraine will be decisive and at some point the parties to the conflict may move to armistice negotiations - for example, a treaty like the one that ended the fighting in Korea in 1953, writes the American v. The New York Times.
Russia has gained an advantage on the front in Ukraine and is ready to change the “trajectory of the war”, the publication writes. Journalists came to this conclusion based on conversations with White House officials and military experts. According to the NYT, the White House and the Pentagon have discussed whether Russian forces can be completely kicked out of Ukraine. But now, given the Russian offensive, Joe Biden's administration is worried about the prospects on the front.
One of the factors that Russia was able to successfully take advantage of was the delay in the approval of the military aid package for Ukraine by the US Congress. Because of this, Russia gained a huge advantage in artillery. In addition, there was a shortage of ammunition in the Ukrainian air defense - and Russian troops were free to attack Ukrainian positions. Another factor that affected the situation at the front was Ukraine's delay in adopting the mobilization law.
The most obvious advantage of the Russian troops is manifested near Kharkov, where a new offensive begins. The Russian Ministry of Defense announced the capture of several villages in this region. However, according to some experts interviewed by the NYT, Russia's strategic goal is to withdraw Ukrainian troops and weaken the front lines elsewhere - and launch a new offensive in the Donbass.
At the same time, US officials express confidence that the situation will change when Western weapons start arriving at the front - most likely in July - and Volodymyr Zelensky finds a way to replenish the troops. The Russian military has a strategic initiative, but the “window of opportunity will begin to close".