Ukraine cannot beat Russia alone, warns top army chief

Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia and should negotiate peace terms with the Kremlin, according to Britain's most senior army officer.

- SAM KILEY

Field Marshal Lord Richards said Kyiv will not be able to drive Vladimir Putin's soldiers out of Ukraine without the help of Nato forces - who won't get involved on the ground. Lord Richards, who was promoted to the UK military's most senior “five-star” rank earlier this year and led Nato forces during their troop surge in Afghanistan, said Ukraine's allies have failed Kyiv.

“What we have done in the case of Ukraine is encourage Ukraine to fight, but not given them the means to win,” the former chief of the defence staff told The Independent's podcast World of Trouble.

Reflecting on Ukraine's chances of success against Russia, he said: “My view is that they would not win.”

“Could not win, even with the right resources?” he was asked.

“No,” he replied.

Pressed further by The Independent, he was asked: “Even with the right resources?”

“No, they haven't got the manpower,” the former commando said.

The field marshal's intervention came after Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Washington DC to meet Donald Trump to try to persuade him to give Ukraine Tomahawk cruise missiles. The war with Russia has now ground on for more than three years, with incremental gains on each side as the conflict is increasingly played out via drone warfare.

But Mr Zelensky’s plans to pressure Mr Trump appear to have been thwarted by Vladimir Putin, who spoke to the US president hours before his White House meeting with the Ukrainian leader.

At a packed press conference, Mr Trump appeared reluctant to give up US weapons, while retaining a cordial tone with Mr Zelensky - admittedly a far cry from where things were in February. The US president stressed his own country’s needs to maintain stockpiles.