US admits Russian army possesses strongest land force in Europe
(Baonghean.vn) - US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on May 10 described the Russian army as possessing the most powerful land force in Europe amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
“The Ukrainians have been invaded by the most powerful land force in Europe,” Secretary Austin told reporters. Ukraine is now focused on the Kharkiv battlefield and will be putting most of its US-supplied resources there, he added.
On the same day, White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby predicted that Russia would intensify a new offensive in Ukraine but expressed confidence in Kiev and doubted that Moscow would make much progress.
“It is possible that Russia will make further progress in the coming weeks, but we do not expect any major breakthroughs, and over time, the flow of US assistance will help Ukraine withstand these attacks throughout 2024,” Kirby said. “Russia will likely increase the intensity of its firepower and deploy additional troops in an effort to establish a shallow buffer zone along the Ukrainian border.”
“We have confidence in the Ukrainians and we are working around the clock to provide them with the equipment, the tools, the weapons they need to counter these attacks,” Kirby stressed.
President Joe Biden on May 10 pledged $400 million in additional military assistance to Ukraine.
