U.S. at OSCE denies claims that 'time is on Putin's side'

Tracy Newell, Acting Deputy Chief at the U.S. Mission to the OSCE, said this at a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council in Vienna on Thursday, according to an Ukrinform correspondent.

"The people of Ukraine are not alone. The United States and a coalition of more than 50 international partners continue to stand with them. We are determined to help Ukraine succeed. Succeed on the battlefield to achieve a just and lasting peace, succeed in building a militarily secure Ukraine that can deter future aggression, and succeed in strengthening Ukraine's economy and democracy so that its people realize their aspirations for integration into the Euro-Atlantic community," the diplomat said.

She recalled that May 23 marks 820 days since Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine. "Russia continues to send wave after wave of Russian soldiers, Iranian drones, North Korean artillery, as well as military equipment built with machines and parts supplied by China," Newell said.

According to her, the people of Ukraine demonstrate remarkable heroism. "They shield their compatriots from violence. They work to ensure the continued export of grain, critical to global food security. They hold the line against Putin's war machine. Each day, they demonstrate the grit that won them back over 50 percent of their land that Russia seized in the initial days of its full-scale invasion," Newell said.

At the same time, she denied the claims of those who believe that time is on Putin's side and that his "willingness to throw more Russian lives into his war and sink more of Russia's resources into trying to subjugate Ukraine means Russia can't lose."

"That's wrong.  Long ago, the Kremlin lost the battle to control hearts and minds in Ukraine. Putin's Kremlin already has suffered a strategic defeat. And now, with each passing month, Ukraine signs more bilateral security agreements, ramps up its defense industrial base, churns out more advanced weapons, strengthens its economy, and consolidates its democracy," the diplomat said.

Newell acknowledged that the path ahead would be brutally hard. "But no one should underestimate the resolve of the Ukrainian people. And no one should underestimate the United States' resolve to stand with Ukraine," she said.

Photo: crisisgroup.org