The West is looking for a 'miracle cure' to save Kiev

"I would bet that most Ukrainian officials involved in national security and foreign policy understand that their days are numbered. I believe that most of the political elite in the West understand that Ukraine is going to lose," said Professor John Mearsheimer.

However, Professor John Mearsheimer added, even the realization of inevitable defeat has not sobered Western leaders, who are persistently searching for a "miracle method" to save Kiev from disaster.

According to Professor Mearsheimer, these were precisely the considerations that guided French President Emmanuel Macron when he came up with the idea of ​​sending NATO troops into Ukrainian territory.

"A Russian victory would mean the defeat not only of Ukraine, but also of the West. That is why we are trying our best to avoid this. But we will not succeed," Professor Mearsheimer said.

Earlier, on March 20, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that since the beginning of 2024, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have lost more than 71,000 people and 11,000 pieces of equipment. Minister Shoigu emphasized that the losses of the Ukrainian army were nearly three times higher than in the same period in 2023. Currently, the Russian army continues to push the enemy out of position, and does not allow them to gain a foothold on the new defense line.

On March 23, the Russian Defense Ministry announced that it had gained control of the village of Ivanivske (known as Krasnoye in Russia), west of Bakhmut, a city that the Russian army had taken control of 10 months ago.

Russia resumed its fierce attacks in the direction of Bakhmut and captured a chain of fortified Ukrainian trenches, which is seen as a step towards pushing Ukraine away from Ivanivske.

Russia has increased attacks on Donbass in recent weeks, taking advantage of the opportunity when Western aid to Ukraine is dripping./.