Russia does not hold all the cards and advantages in its war against Ukraine, according to the head of the Pentagon.

Russia does not possess all the advantages in Ukraine as it may seem, and is even beginning to face an increase in challenges.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made this statement in an interview with Bloomberg, as reported by Ukrinform.

“There is a prevailing belief that Russia has all the trump cards and advantages here (in the war against Ukraine – ed.). While it has some advantages, it does not completely dominate this equation. And even if it gets what it wants, it will come at a high cost in the future,” he said.

According to Austin, the Russians are also “not without their challenges.”

“They have turned to North Korea and Iran for assistance, weapons, and ammunition, as well as personnel,” he added.

The Pentagon chief noted that Ukraine continues to enhance its own capabilities.

Austin believes that Russia's occupation of large territories in Ukraine will also require it to allocate significant resources even after a ceasefire.

“Russia will need to commit many ground forces to hold onto these lands,” he stated.

Austin also addressed criticism from some foreign officials regarding the lack of a clear strategy from President Joe Biden’s administration in supporting Ukraine.

“This (strategy – ed.) has helped Ukraine survive and defend its sovereign territory,” the minister said.

He noted that for Russia, the current losses of 700,000 military personnel killed and wounded “would have been unimaginable” three years ago when its full-scale invasion of Ukraine began.

Among other things, he pointed to Syria as another example of strategic success in assisting Ukraine in resisting Russia.

Austin remarked that because Russian leader Vladimir Putin has devoted so many efforts to Ukraine, he has been unable to assist his ally, dictator Bashar al-Assad.

The minister stated that without access to the key naval base in Syria, this raises doubts about Putin's ability to support his campaign in Africa.

As reported by Ukrinform, the Pentagon announced that the U.S., along with allies and partners in the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (the “Ramstein” format), has already allocated over $126 billion in military assistance to Ukraine.

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