Ukraine's top general wanted a bold counteroffensive a year earlier that the US thought was too risky. It might have reshaped the war.

Business Insider ^ | Jan 9, 2024 | Chris Panella and Ryan Pickrell

[MinorityRepublican]

Ukraine's forces slammed against stiff Russian defenses in southern Ukraine this summer, and ultimately, the counteroffensive failed. Unable to get the US onboard earlier, the move in a critical sector of southern Ukraine came a year later than when the country's top general first wanted to make it, a new book reports.

Had it come when he wanted, it might have reshaped the war, for better or worse.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Gen. Valery Zaluzhny pushed for a bold, and by some observations risky, counteroffensive in 2022 that never came to be, according to the new book "Our Enemies Will Vanish" by Yaroslav Trofimov, the Wall Street Journal's chief foreign-affairs correspondent.

It was a plan to punch through parts of Zaporizhzhia and sever the so-called "land bridge" to isolate Russian forces in Crimea.

[EEGator]

“Might have”

That’s when you’re winning.

[Navy Patriot]

Ukraine's top general wanted a bold counteroffensive a year earlier that the US thought was too risky.

Two years from now the "Business Insider" will be "reporting" that Zelensky "wanted a bold Nuclear counteroffensive a year earlier that the US thought was too risky".

The only difference is that more Ukrainians will be dead.

[glorgau]

Coulda, shoulda, woulda

[EEGator]

On The Waterfront- Terry Malloy

[glorgau]

Also:

“A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week.” - George S. Patton

[Kazan]

Sure. Bad strategy is the reason Ukraine is losing not the fact they are facing a military vastly superior with far more firepower.

Ukraine is totalitarian hellhole that just murdered an American citizen. It not only deserves to die, it must die.

[MinorityRepublican]

Valery Zaluzhny and Volodymyr Zelenskyy should have gone for it. The Americans may b***h and moan. But what are they going to do? They should probably have asked Netanyahu for advice on how to handle the Americans.

The Americans may threaten to cut you off but sometimes you have to call them out on it.

[Bonemaker]

Too bad they listen to US military brass.

[McCarthysGhost]

Ukraine would already be speaking Russian if those “Ukrainian generals” were left to their own devices. What a line o’crap. Wait, a lot of Ukraine already does speak Russian.

[Right_Wing_Madman]

Ukraine's forces slammed against stiff Russian defenses in southern Ukraine this summer, and ultimately, the counteroffensive failed.

It didn't help that Ukraine announced the counteroffensive six months in advance. It gave Russian army engineers plenty of time to build fortifications.

[MinorityRepublican]

It didn't help that Ukraine announced the counteroffensive six months in advance.

By that time, Ukraine should have called off the counteroffensive. Even though the West was pressuring Ukraine to do something.

[NavyShoe]

The Ukes would have never been able to secure the land bridge to Crimea. Too much territory that would require two fronts. They would have never made it to Melitopol.

[nicollo]

Would have been more informative if the “journalist” here identified the source who asked for the post.

[tennmountainman]

YouCrayne’s would already be Russian lamp shades if not for Uncle Sam

[Robert DeLong]

If my aunt had testicles she might have been my uncle.

But Biden didn't did he, why is that? Could he really be assisting Russia instead?

[House Atreides]

“I coulda been a contender.” President Zelensky

[McGruff]

Monday morning quarterbacking?

[hardspunned]

I bet the Ukes are glad they waited. Why jump into a risky offensive when you can wait and have DC plan and pay for the catastrophic so called counter offensive?

[MinorityRepublican]

Ukraine is losing not the fact they are facing a military vastly superior with far more firepower.

True. But the Russians were on the run in 2022. Ukraine should have seized the initiative. They didn't do that.