THE US government estimates that the Russia will not yield significantly territorial gains in Ukraine in the near future, according to a Pentagon official.

Although it failed to capture Kiev in the first phase of the invasion and recorded several failures on the battlefield, the Russian military currently controls about 1/5 of Ukrainian territory. Kiev has ruled out dialogue with Moscow, claiming the withdrawal of Russian forces from all of Ukraine – including Crimea – at the 1991 border, after the breakup of the Soviet Union.

Russian troops are tightening the cordon around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, where the commander of Ukrainian forces describes the situation as “extremely tense”.

“You may see small parcels of land change hands in the coming weeks or even months. I don’t think there is any indication that the Russians could sweep into Ukraine and make significant territorial gains within a year,” US Deputy Defense Secretary Colin Kall told a House committee that oversees Washington’s military aid to the country. Kiev.

Since the start of the Russian invasion, the Biden administration has provided Ukraine with nearly $32 billion in military aid – delivering UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), artillery and air defense systems, among other things. To date, however, it has not satisfied Kiev’s request for deliveries of F-16 fighter jets.

Colin Kall was repeatedly asked by committee members about the possibility of delivering fighter jets to Ukraine. He estimated that it would take 18-24 months to deliver the first F-16s to Ukraine, arguing that it is “not among the top three priorities” of the Ukrainians.