"Fri, January 20, 2023 at 7:55 PM GMT+1 The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Mark Milley, US Chief of Staff, after the meeting of Ramstein, the name of this American base located in Germany. ANDRE PAIN / AFP The US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Mark Milley, US Chief of Staff, after the meeting of Ramstein, the name of this American base located in Germany.

WAR IN UKRAINE - New aid far from Kiev's hopes. It will be "very difficult" to dislodge the Russian army from Ukrainian territory by the end of the year, the US Chief of Staff Mark Milley said on Friday, January 20th at a press conference on the American base of Ramstein in Germany.

"From a military point of view, I still maintain that it will be very difficult to expel Russian forces from all the occupied areas of Ukraine [...] This does not mean that this cannot happen. But it will be very very difficult," the general said after this crucial meeting of allied countries on military support to Kiev but which did not result in any decision regarding the sending of heavy tanks to Ukraine, due to Germany's hesitations.

But the general added that it is quite possible "for the Ukrainians to conduct a significant offensive (...) to liberate as much territory as possible," but "it will depend on the delivery of equipment and training." It should be noted that US intelligence expects a Ukrainian counter-offensive in the spring, as the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin made known to the press, emphasizing the importance for allies to help Kiev prepare for it.

For the delivery of materials, "we have a window of opportunity between now and spring... As soon as they start their operation, their counter-offensive," he announced. "It is not a long period and we must gather the right capabilities," Lloyd Austin specified.