Ukraine is largely dismissing the leaked documents as inconsequential for the war effort as they only provide a snapshot of U.S. assessments in March and February.
But the Pentagon papers, circulated online for millions to see, are emboldening critics across Western nations who support less involvement in the war.
One February document reviewed by The Hill details a U.S. conclusion that the war is headed into a stalemate beyond 2023, and both sides are unlikely to make headway anytime soon.
The Pentagon’s intelligence predicts Russia will continue to pound Ukrainian lines in the eastern regions, “slowly overwhelming Ukrainian defenses with a daily deluge of artillery fires, airstrikes, and repeated, multi-pronged, small-unit ground assaults.”
“These tactics have diminished Russian forces and munition stockpiles to a level that, barring an unforeseen recovery, can exhaust Russian units and frustrate Moscow’s war aims, resulting in a protracted war beyond 2023,” the assessment says.
The stunning conclusion is contrary to the public U.S. stance that Ukraine will be successful in its coming spring counteroffensive. The Pentagon is still reviewing the leaks, including whether any of the documents may have been altered.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), a fierce critic of continued U.S. support for Ukraine, tweeted that the Biden administration and the Pentagon have been “caught lying” about the war.
Other critics also seized on the documents because they reveal U.S. involvement in Ukraine, with officials sharing detailed intelligence with Kyiv.
Additional records present a more unflattering picture of the war, including a document that says Ukraine sent drones to attack inside Russia and Belarus — when Ukrainian leaders have publicly pledged not to strike sovereign territory.
The documents, at least partly, offer a different story than the one told so far, which has been dominated by Ukraine’s successes and Russia’s failures through a more controlled narrative directed by Washington and Kyiv.
Read the full report at The Hill.com.
