Ukraine faces military collapse this year — retired US Army officer

WASHINGTON, May 12. /TASS/. Ukraine faces military collapse this year, a former US Army HQ staff officer, national security strategist and Editor of The Real War newsletter David T. Pyne told TASS. Commenting on Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements on his readiness for negotiations with the EU, the expert noted: "My assessment is that the EU cannot be trusted to negotiate a peace agreement ending NATO’s proxy war with Russia because both they (the EU - TASS) and [Vladimir] Zelensky want to continue the war indefinitely. Thus, until Ukraine suffers a military collapse later this year, it is likely that direct Russian talks with the EU will prove unfruitful." According to Pyne, "at current casualty rates, it is possible that Ukraine could run out of troops by the end of the year." Putin’s remarks that "the war is ‘coming to an end’ will be proven correct whether the West agrees to negotiate a final negotiated peace settlement with Russia or not," the analyst pointed out. The former defense official stressed that "only direct talks with the US have a chance of bringing a diplomatic end to the conflict because [US President Donald] Trump is sincere in wanting peace with Russia though he continues to mistakenly provide $12 billion in arms a year to Ukraine when all he would have to do to force Zelensky to make peace is to cut off all US security assistance to Kiev including Starlink access." In his opinion, a stalemate in negotiations would mean no progress in a diplomatic settlement "until Ukraine’s military collapses" and Kiev’s forced acceptance "Russia’s peace terms." According to the US expert, "over the past several months, an increasing number of EU heads of state have suggested the EU negotiate a peace deal with the Kremlin." Putin "offered to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine directly with the EU which is led by anti-Russian hardliners and responded with a demand for an open-ended cease-fire before commencing such negotiations," the analyst stressed.