Ben Wallace, Secretary of State for Defence of the United Kingdom, has expressed confidence in Ukraine’s planned counteroffensive against Russian forces, but signalled that the war would most likely continue into next year.

Source: The New York Times, citing Wallace during the visit to Washington

Wallace said that he was "optimistic" and thought that Ukraine would continue to enjoy momentum with it and a position of strength. However, he added, there won't be "a single magic-wand moment when Russia collapses".

According to him, Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no sign of letting up despite having already suffered 223,000 dead or injured. The figure he cited matches the number in one of the leaked Pentagon documents.

Quote: "It is quite hard to predict how much loss he’s prepared to tolerate before he really realises the game is up. I am just trying to manage expectations that no offensive is going to suddenly cause the Russian Army to collapse," Wallace said.

The UK minister noted that the allied support for Ukraine remained strong, and that it would be up to the Kyiv government to decide when to negotiate an end to the fighting — from a position of strength.

Background: US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin says Ukraine remains confident in its ability to launch the counteroffensive against Russia amid the leaked U.S. intelligence documents.

Czech President Petr Pavel suggested that Ukraine should use the opportunity for a counteroffensive this year.

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