Clark says Ukraine war an endurance contest
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Retired U.S. Army Gen. Wesley Clark suggested Wednesday that Ukraine’s war with Russia is a test of endurance, as neither country appears to be seeking compromise in the conflict that’s lasted more than two years.
“I don’t think Ukraine is willing to compromise and give up its territory. I don’t think the Ukrainian military is going to collapse even though things are pretty tough right now until that American assistance gets there,” Clark said on NewsNation’s “The Hill.”
“And I don’t think Russia is willing to give up, so it’s an endurance contest, and it’s also a contest of national will and whether the United States and NATO will stand firm to support a beleaguered democracy,” Clark added. He previously served as NATO’s supreme allied commander.
His comments come as Ukraine anxiously awaits the arrival of new U.S. weapons and equipment approved last month. Kyiv’s forces have struggled in recent weeks against Russia’s continued missile and drone strikes, and Russian forces have recently taken several villages in eastern Ukraine.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has remained steadfast in his mission to defeat Russia. Like many Western leaders, he has reiterated the argument that a Russian victory has wider implications for other European nations.
Clark suggested the Ukraine-Russia war cannot be looked at in terms of time.
“Because what you got here is a critical situation that affects global security,” he said. “For Ukraine to collapse, we’d be faced with a huge national security crisis in Europe, and it would empower the Chinese to go after Taiwan. So we can’t measure it on the clock.”
The Defense Department announced a $1 billion package for Ukraine last week, shortly after President Biden signed a national security supplemental into law that includes $61 billion to support the embattled nation.
The supplemental came after a more than yearlong stalemate among lawmakers that prevented further aid from being passed months after most U.S. assistance dried up late last year.
Clark predicted Russia will attempt a “big play” at taking over more land in Ukraine this summer as U.S. aid trickles into the war-torn nation.
“It’s going to be a hair-raising time in Ukraine and for the West and then … summer will probably end with a Ukrainian counteroffensive that regains much of the territory lost,” he said. “2025 may be decisive.”
Clark pushed back on the suggestion Russia would fall if President Vladimir Putin “loses” his position.
“Look, Putin is the most experienced statesman in the world today. He’s a wily intelligence agent, and we’d be very much better off if he goes into the sunset somewhere and retires,” he said.
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