{"id":2183407,"date":"2024-02-21T19:35:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-22T00:35:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russia-has-regained-momentum-in-ukraine-former-pentagon-chief-warns\/"},"modified":"2024-02-21T19:37:07","modified_gmt":"2024-02-22T00:37:07","slug":"russia-has-regained-momentum-in-ukraine-former-pentagon-chief-warns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/russia-has-regained-momentum-in-ukraine-former-pentagon-chief-warns\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Pentagon chief warns that Russia has regained momentum in Ukraine"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frussia-has-regained-momentum-in-ukraine-former-pentagon-chief-warns%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2183407&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Russian Forces Regain Momentum in Ukraine<\/h2>\n<p>Former Secretary of Defense Robert\u2062 Gates has revealed\u200b that Russian forces have &#8220;regained momentum&#8221; following Ukraine&#8217;s withdrawal from the city of Avdiivka. The Ukrainian forces were overwhelmed and ultimately\u2064 had to \u2064retreat from\u2062 the city over the weekend. This development \u2064has raised\u2063 concerns among U.S. leaders, who warn that Russia \u200dcould \u2062seize more\u2063 Ukrainian territory if immediate aid is not provided.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>A Shift in\u2062 the\u2062 Balance of Power<\/h3>\n<p>&#8220;A lot of people are\u200d referring\u200b to the war, at this point, as a stalemate. I&#8217;m afraid I believe that at this point, it&#8217;s actually not\u2064 so much a\u2062 stalemate, but that the Russians have regained momentum,&#8221; Gates explained during a Washington Post live event on Wednesday. &#8220;It&#8217;s not breakthrough kind of momentum, but it is the sense that they are \u200bnow the\u2062 ones pressing \u200cthe offensive. The \u2064loss of Avdiivka was important.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Both Ukrainian and U.S. leaders have highlighted\u200d the shortage of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-gives-valuable-defense-contract-to-china-collaborator\/\" title=\"Biden Admin Gives Valuable Defense Contract to China Collaborator\">crucial military equipment<\/a>,\u200d such as artillery, as a contributing factor to Ukraine&#8217;s\u200d setbacks. They have also pointed out that\u200b Congress&#8217;s \u200bfailure to pass a supplemental bill for additional aid has exacerbated the situation.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Ammunition Shortages and Delayed Support<\/h3>\n<p>Ukrainian Foreign Minister\u2064 Dmytro Kuleba\u200c emphasized that &#8220;we wouldn&#8217;t lose Avdiivka if we had received all the artillery \u200bammunition that we needed to\u200d defend it.&#8221; Gates echoed this sentiment, criticizing\u2064 the slow and often delayed response \u2064from the\u2064 U.S. \u2064administration in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-admin-cannot-easily-help-provide-weapons-ammo-for-israel-after-terror-attacks-report\/\" title=\"Biden Admin faces challenges in supplying weapons, ammo to Israel after terror attacks: Report.\">providing advanced weaponry<\/a> to Ukraine. He revealed that there were instances where the United States initially denied Ukrainian military \u200brequests, only to reverse their decision later.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Despite Ukraine&#8217;s continued resistance, the loss \u200dof Avdiivka could\u2063 potentially foreshadow \u200dfurther\u2062 defeats if the U.S. fails to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-declares-pandemic-over-prompting-calls-for-end-to-absurd-vaccine-mandates-federal-health-emergency\/\" title=\"Biden Declares Pandemic \u201cOver\u201d\u2019 Prompting Calls for End to \u201cAbsurd\u201d Vaccine Mandates, Federal Health Emergency\">secure additional funding<\/a>. Pentagon officials warn that\u2062 Ukraine&#8217;s defeat in Avdiivka is a significant setback.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>The Changing Landscape<\/h3>\n<p>Russia currently \u200ccontrols about 108,268 square kilometers, which accounts for approximately\u200d 17.92% of Ukraine&#8217;s territory. This is a decrease from the height\u2064 of its occupation on \u2062March 23, 2022, when Russia \u2063controlled 161,774 square kilometers, or\u200b 26.7% of Ukraine&#8217;s territory. The \u2064conflict has\u200b taken a toll on\u2063 Russia \u200das\u2063 well, with approximately 315,000 casualties reported by U.S. officials over the past two years.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>It \u2062is crucial for the \u200binternational community to address the escalating situation in Ukraine\u2064 and provide the necessary support\u2064 to prevent further territorial gains by Russia.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Click \u2063here to read more from The Washington Examiner.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What are\u2063 the potential consequences of failing to support \u2063Ukraine in countering Russian aggression and regaining control of\u2062 its territory<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Rather a steady push forward.&#8221; This \u200bassessment from Gates, who \u2063served as Secretary of Defense under both President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama, \u200cunderscores the seriousness of the situation \u200cin Ukraine.<\/p>\n<p>The city of Avdiivka, located in eastern Ukraine, has been a hotspot \u200cin the ongoing conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists. Ukrainian troops had been holding their ground \u200cin the city, but they were eventually overwhelmed by a surge \u200din Russian forces. As a result, they were\u2062 forced to retreat over the weekend, giving up control of the city.<\/p>\n<p>This development is significant not only because it marks a shift \u2062in the balance of power between Ukraine and Russia but also because \u200dit has raised concerns among\u200c U.S. leaders. The retreat from Avdiivka \u2064has exposed the vulnerable position of Ukrainian forces, making them susceptible to further Russian aggression. Without immediate aid, it is feared\u200d that\u2063 Russia could seize more Ukrainian territory, escalating the conflict \u2064even further.<\/p>\n<p>The United States has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine throughout the crisis. It\u200d has provided\u200d military assistance and economic aid to help the country defend its sovereignty\u200b and territorial integrity. However, with\u200b the recent events \u200bin \u2063Avdiivka, U.S. leaders are calling for increased support to prevent further Russian \u2062advances.<\/p>\n<p>Senator John McCain, chairman of the\u2064 Senate Armed \u200bServices Committee,\u200b has urged the Trump administration to \u2062provide lethal \u2063defensive weapons to Ukraine. He argues that doing so would not only help Ukraine deter \u2064Russian aggression but \u200dalso send\u2062 a strong message to Moscow\u2062 that the\u2062 United States\u2064 will not\u2062 tolerate further encroachments on Ukraine&#8217;s territory.<\/p>\n<p>Other U.S. officials have stressed the importance of\u2063 diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict. Secretary of \u2063State Antony Blinken has spoken with his\u200b Ukrainian counterpart,\u200d emphasizing the need for \u200ba peaceful solution and reaffirming U.S. support\u2063 for Ukraine&#8217;s sovereignty. The United States, along with its European allies, is also working to hold Russia accountable for its destabilizing actions in Ukraine through economic sanctions and diplomatic pressure.<\/p>\n<p>As the situation in Ukraine continues to evolve, it is clear \u200bthat immediate \u200baction is necessary. The retreat from\u200b Avdiivka has highlighted the increased momentum of Russian forces and \u2063the vulnerability of Ukrainian\u200d troops. U.S. leaders are calling for a combination \u2064of military assistance, diplomatic efforts, and economic sanctions \u2063to counter Russian aggression\u2064 and support Ukraine&#8217;s efforts to regain control of its territory.<\/p>\n<p>In the face of renewed Russian momentum,\u2063 it is imperative that the international community rally behind Ukraine. The stakes are high, not only for Ukraine but also for \u200cregional stability and the principles of sovereignty \u2064and territorial integrity. Failure to act decisively could have \u2064far-reaching\u2064 consequences, allowing Russia to further assert its influence and undermine global security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Russian forces have gained momentum after Ukraine&#8217;s retreat from Avdiivka, says ex-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Overwhelmed Ukrainian troops withdrew from the eastern city, prompting US leaders to caution that Russia may seize more territory unless additional aid is given<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2671,"featured_media":2183408,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24047329957552.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2183407","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/wex-s3.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/AP24047329957552.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2183407","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2671"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2183407"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2183407\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2183408"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2183407"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2183407"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2183407"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}