At the US military base in Germany, American generals, together with the Ukrainian military, conducted a series of "cabinet exercises" to help Kyiv map out the next phase of the war.
This is reported by The New York Times.
During the exercises, the military worked out several offensive options. The training was held on March 2, and was attended by President Bidenʼs top generals, who are responsible for the US efforts to provide aid to Ukraine. They were invited to develop a strategy, outlining the risks and benefits of various steps Ukraine could take against Russiaʼs positions in the coming months. Ukrainian officials will later decide which way to go.
The commander of NATO forces in Europe General Christopher Cavoli, after one of the rounds of exercises, praised the "phenomenal" adaptability of the Armed Forces and added that the American side would help adapt even better.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley also took part in these "exercises". Discussing them later, he refused to detail the options that the Ukrainians tried out during the exercises. But other high-ranking officials, military analysts and Ukrainian officials have suggested that Kyiv may try to move against Russian defense lines in the northeast or east of the country, particularly in the Donetsk and Luhansk directions.
Ukraine may also launch an offensive in the south, targeting the so-called land bridge connecting the Russian mainland with Crimea. In January, the US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin informed that the "real goal for this year" for the Ukrainians is to cut the "land bridge".
- On February 13, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that a new major Russian offensive in Ukraine has already begun, so the Alliance should urgently provide Ukraine with the necessary weapons before the Russian Federation seizes the initiative on the battlefield.