In an interview with the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg program, General Mark Milley, the top-ranking US military officer, stated that Ukraine has a little over 30 days left to continue its offensive before the weather conditions hinder their progress. Gen Milley explained that colder conditions would make it much harder for Ukraine to maneuver effectively on the battlefield.
Although the offensive has progressed more slowly than expected, Gen Milley emphasized that heavy fighting is still ongoing and that the Ukrainians are steadily making progress. He stated, “There’s still a reasonable amount of time, probably about 30 to 45 days’ worth of fighting weather left, so the Ukrainians aren’t done. There are battles not done… they haven’t finished the fighting part of what they’re trying to accomplish.”
Ukraine’s counter-offensive, which was launched in the summer with the aim of liberating Russian-occupied territory, has seen only small gains thus far. However, Ukrainian generals claim to have breached Russia’s formidable first line of defenses in the south.
Gen Milley acknowledged that the war would be long, slow, hard, and result in high casualties, as he had previously predicted. In the same interview, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, the UK chief of defense staff, expressed his belief that Ukraine is winning and Russia is losing. He attributed Ukraine’s progress to the international community’s application of economic and diplomatic pressure on Russia, which has caused the country to suffer.
Adm Radakin also commented on the alliance between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, describing it as a sign of Putin’s desperation. He stated that the alliance demonstrated Russia’s limited number of partners and its domestic situation, including economic pressure, the impact of sanctions, and a declining population.
The admiral expressed concern about the potential arms deal between North Korea and Russia, as it could lead to increased military cooperation between the two countries in Asia. He referred to the alliance as a reflection of Russia’s catastrophic mistake in invading Ukraine.
Regarding former US President Donald Trump, Gen Milley affirmed that the US military’s allegiance is to the constitution. When asked if the military would serve a commander-in-chief who was in jail, he stated, “We take our oath to a document, the constitution of the United States of America. So we will be faithful always to that constitution regardless of who occupies the White House.” He assured that the military would obey all lawful orders from the duly-elected president of the United States.
Gen Milley concluded the interview by ruling out any political aspirations for himself and jokingly stating that he would “run for best grandad” when he retires in a few weeks.