According to the ISW team, the cessation of Western aid to Kyiv will quite possibly lead to the fact that the Armed Forces of Ukraine will no longer be able to resist the Russian invaders.
What is most important for Ukraine in the process of deterring the Russian army
According to representatives of the American Institute for the Study of War, the current positional war in Ukraine cannot be considered a stable stalemate since the balance can easily be shaken if Kyiv's partners officially slow down or even block important decisions regarding aid.
Foreign experts also draw attention to the fact that exclusively the support of Western countries in the field of security enables the soldiers of the Armed Forces to successfully repel the offensive of the aggressor country and de-occupy more Ukrainian territory.
Therefore, the continuation of this aid is the only possibility to prevent the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, from achieving his goals in Ukraine.
One of the White House representatives, John Kirby, officially warned that the Russian army will be able to conduct offensive operations when winter weather conditions become more favourable for mechanized manoeuvre warfare (probably in January- February 2024).
According to him, this assessment is based on analyzing the pace of hostilities in Ukraine during the winter.
What is happening at the front on December 21-22
According to American analysts' data, Russian soldiers could advance northwest of Krasnohorivka on the northwestern flank of Avdiivka.
The Russians also made a minor confirmed advance northwest of Kreminna. Geolocation footage released on December 21 shows that Russian forces have made little progress east of Yampolivka.
In addition, the Russian army confirmed its offensive near Bakhmut.
On December 21, the Armed Forces destroyed 1,080 Russian soldiers, 24 artillery systems, 18 ACVs and nine enemy tanks.
