“Too little too late.” US allies believe that Biden’s strategy deprived Ukraine of a chance to win the war — Bloomberg

Bloomberg writes about this on Friday, December 20, indicating that this is the opinion of officials of Ukraine and several capitals of allied countries.

Regardless of what else Biden does, Ukraine is moving toward a bitter settlement in which President Volodymyr Zelenskyi may have to leave some territory in limbo in exchange for security guarantees inconsistent with NATO membership, they say.

Interlocutors of journalists on the condition of anonymity expressed confidence that this result will largely be the result of decisions that Biden made or did not make during the past two years.

The U.S. has provided more than $90 billion in aid and weapons, but allies say Biden has been delaying major decisions on the supply of more advanced weapons at critical moments in the war.

According to former British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Biden understood the importance of supporting Ukraine against Russian aggression, but often his approach was “too cautious and indecisive.”

U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, expressed frustration with some European governments, who they said were slow to realize that Putin might invade Ukraine and then reluctant to supply weapons. At least, until they found out about the actions committed by the Russians.

The paradox, the officials noted, is that the result for Ukraine is the same now, regardless of who is in power — Biden or Donald Trump, whose inauguration will take place on January 20.

“Trump has called for an immediate cease-fire, and his nominees for national security secretary have made it clear that any deal would likely require Ukraine to agree to a freeze on its territory along the current front lines and abandon its aspirations to join NATO in the near future. “, – writes Bloomberg.

It is also emphasized that officials on both sides of the Atlantic are concerned by the fact that, despite talk of reviving the hard power of European capitals, the United States remains the only NATO country capable of tipping the scales in a major conflict involving Russia. Therefore, the outcome of the war in Ukraine will depend on the decisions made in the White House.

According to one of Bloomberg’s interlocutors, Biden was obsessed with the danger of nuclear escalation. US officials responded to calls to do more that the risks were too great. Other allies, such as Germany, felt similar fears.

Two senior European officials told the publication that the main problem was that Biden’s strategy was likely aimed at preventing Ukraine from losing without paving the way for victory.

“However, going all-in was not the only option available to Biden,” the article emphasizes.

Less than a year after the start of Russia’s full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, then-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley offered to push Zelensky into talks with Putin.

“The Russian military is really in a difficult position,” Milli said in November 2022. “You want to negotiate at a time when you are strong and your opponent is weak.”

Biden, according to a senior European official, had the options of increasing support for Kyiv or insisting on peace talks, but he chose neither.

Although the US increased the supply of weapons before the counteroffensive of the Armed Forces in 2023, they tried to convince Biden that much more and faster was needed, but the US president was afraid of nuclear escalation.

Officials in Washington said the U.S. ended up sending all it could, when supplies allowed and when they judged it warranted at the front. Also, American officials claim that now Kyiv is more hindered by the lack of manpower than weapons.

However, while Biden was agonizing over whether to send additional air defense equipment, longer-range missiles, or fighter jets to Kyiv, Putin was directing missiles at Ukrainian cities, the article emphasizes.

This weakened Ukraine’s economy and the resolve of its people, undermining the country’s ability to fight back, while giving Russia crucial time to prepare and adapt.