Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely be forced to bring his failing monthlong war against Ukraine to a halt, a retired US general and Russia specialist told Insider — a scenario that may happen within weeks after Russian forces have sustained heavy losses and subjected Ukraine’s cities to indiscriminate attacks.
Retired US Army Brig. Gen. Kevin Ryan said he believed this to be the “most likely scenario” to play out, as Putin has already “failed to accomplish” his “main military goals” in Ukraine — a lightning strike to seize Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital, and other big cities and remove their elected leaders — and Russia’s economy continues to be decimated by sweeping Western sanctions over its war with the Eastern European country.
“Putin will have to halt his war in Ukraine sooner or later and probably in a matter of weeks,” Ryan, who served as the defense attaché to Russia for the US, among numerous other roles, told Insider on Thursday.
“The reason is not because he wants to halt his military operation but because he has no choice,” Ryan, 67, said. “He has basically reached the capacity of what his military can do for him in Ukraine.”
Ukraine’s armed forces, aided by civilians, have been greatly outnumbered and outgunned by Russian troops since Russia launched its attack in late February, but Ukrainians have managed to put up a fierce resistance, which has resulted in a mounting Russian death toll and an essentially stalled invasion.