Retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer and retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax on Monday that the Ukrainian people are starting to realize that the numbers "were never there" for victory against Russia.
"We are not pro-Russia," Shaffer said during an appearance on "American Agenda." "We're not pro-Putin. We're pro-truth and one of the things I think the Ukrainian people have woken up to is the fact that this constant barrage of information that they were winning was not true."
"What this means is the $300 billion we've already spent has been wasted and another $60 billion they're calling to throw in now is not going to have a difference," he said. "It wouldn't arrive in time anyway. So, I recognize and I feel the pain of the Ukrainian people — this is horrible — but we have to recognize that, while their leaders were in Munich, literally partying [and] drinking over the weekend, the men and women of the Ukrainian military were fighting and dying in this horrible retreat."
"The numbers were never there, and they weren't going to be there and the way [former Joint Chiefs of Staff] Mark Milley and [Under Secretary for Political Affairs] Victoria Nuland have coached the Ukrainians was assuring defeat," Shaffer continued. "I hate to be a downer like that, but it's something that we have to recognize. It's time to rethink how we're supporting them and what the intentions are of our community to help them."
Holt said that the Russian takeover of the eastern Ukrainian city of Avdiivka over the weekend was due to greater troop numbers and larger stocks of air and artillery firepower.
"I'm not going to put up with anybody saying that the Congress not acting with the money is what lost Avdiivka," Holt said. "The loss of manpower is what lost Avdiivka. There has been money flowing from Europe. We're out of weapons stocks in the West. Look at what the prime minister of Denmark said. She said, 'We'll give them all of our weapon stocks.' How irresponsible is that? She wants all of Europe to fly all of its weapons into Ukraine. What does one think Russia would do in that instance?"
"The amount of lunacy that we see out of all of these state leaders and the hypocrisy — going back to what Tony said about the partying — while these desperate, brave men pitched into battle are left for dead on the battlefield in Avdiivka, it is criminal," he continued. "What I think is going to happen next is the Ukrainian people are going to hold its own government accountable. I can't see how that won't happen at this point."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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