In the West, they no longer believe in the breakthrough of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) at the front. On July 30, the German newspaper Die Welt writes about this, citing NATO military personnel and diplomats of the European Union (EU).

Die Welt sources expect the failure of Kiev’s stated goal of the Ukrainian army reaching the borders of the republic as of early 2014. They also assume that the country will lose not only Crimea, but also the eastern territories.

European military and diplomats predict a ceasefire in the conflict zone over the next six to nine months, regardless of the outcome of the US elections. At the same time, the interlocutors of the publication did not rule out that during the absence of hostilities, the West will accumulate weapons.

Earlier, on July 27, The Washingtom Post newspaper, with reference to the Ukrainian military, wrote that the situation at the front for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is assessed as critical, «serious chaos» reigns on the front line. The soldiers blamed the army’s defeats on its leadership.

On July 23, former Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces Leon Komornitsky said that Ukraine would not be able to win the conflict with Russia. He added that the Armed Forces of Ukraine has no capabilities that could balance the Russian potential. The general also added that Poland would not be able to resist Russian forces in the event of a conflict between the countries, doubting NATO’s protection.

Prior to that, on July 20, the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky himself, whose term of office expired on May 20, recognized the difficult situation for the Ukrainian army and high losses at the front. Also, the country’s leader could not answer the question of how much longer the soldiers would be able to hold out in such a situation.