Both sides appear ready for an enduring conflict on Europe’s eastern fringe.
With Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine entering its twelfth week, experts agree with Western officials that he is committed to a long-lasting and widespread war with Kyiv.
And, backed by billions in aid and weaponry from NATO allies, Ukrainian officials are increasingly confident they will be able to withstand and perhaps even counterattack against persistent Russian onslaughts.
Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said Tuesday that Putin was ready for a “prolonged conflict” in Ukraine that would stretch well beyond the eastern Donbas region, where Russia’s advances have stalled in recent weeks.
As Ukrainian troops retook several villages around the city of Kharkiv, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba issued a defiant warning to Moscow that his country’s war aims had grown since the outbreak of hostilities.
Vladislav Zubok, a professor of international history at the London School of Economics, said that after being convinced of Ukraine’s defensive capabilities, NATO allies were determined to help it hold out and put an end to Russian incursions in Eastern Europe.
“It’s now more complex than just two sides killing each other,” he said. “The war is regional but the complexity is European and international, and the U.S. essentially poses as a senior patron of Ukraine, determined not to let it lose.”
On Tuesday, the House authorized an additional $40 billion in aid, which Speaker Nancy Pelosi said would help Ukraine “defend not only its nation, but democracy for the world.”
Aarne Heikkila
Aarne Heikkila is a senior investigative producer with the NBC News Investigative Unit.