AAmerican generals and Ukrainian officers met in Wiesbaden this week for military simulation games. According to American media reports, high-ranking officers from Washington took part in the exercises at the US Army’s Europe and Africa headquarters. The aim was to help Kiev plan possible offensives in the coming weeks and months, participants said on Thursday.
It was not disclosed exactly which scenarios were played through in the simulations. They are said to have had the goal of developing strategies and working out the advantages and disadvantages of certain operations against the Russian army. “Nobody sits there and tells the Ukrainians ‘turn left’ or ‘turn right’ or ‘do this’ or ‘do that’. That’s not the international community’s job,” Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley told reporters accompanying him. Rather, the American officers should serve as a “sounding board” for the Ukrainians, participants described their role. After the exercises, the supreme commander of NATO troops in Europe, General Christopher Cavoli, praised the “phenomenal” adaptability of the Ukrainians.
Milley described the exercises as having a map lying on a large table. This, in turn, would have contained symbols and other military equipment intended to symbolize potential battles. “Ukrainians are moving things around on the map to figure out what’s the best way to go about it. And they discuss the pros and cons of the risks involved,” Milley said. “It’s a completely normal thing that all armies do.” Milley did not give any further details about the possible Ukrainian offensive operations that had been discussed. According to experts, attacks against Russian positions in the north-east and east in the Luhansk and Donetsk regions or an offensive in the south with the aim of freeing the land bridge to the Crimean peninsula annexed by Russia would be possible.
The American generals stressed that the United States remains ready to support Ukraine. Cavoli said America stood by Kiev “for as long as it takes”. Milley, in turn, emphasized that in the current situation, Ukraine primarily needs anti-aircraft defenses. Ukraine must continue to be able to defend its airspace against Russian attacks with planes, missiles and drones.
The reports of the simulation games come shortly after Russian allegations that America helped Kiev stage attacks in Russia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Rybakov said on Thursday that drone attacks on targets in Russia could only be carried out with American support. A Pentagon spokesman contradicted this: “I can definitely say that the accusation that we gave information to Ukraine to attack targets in Russia is nonsense,” said General Pat Ryder. The United States has admitted to providing intelligence information to Kiev in the past. However, it was always stressed that it was not a matter of selecting targets. “We are not at war with Russia and we do not want war with Russia. Our goal is just to help Ukraine defend itself. And we will continue to do so,” Ryder said.