Today's D Brief: Debt-default sticking point; Russia strikes clinic; SEAL training investigation; Oath Keeper chief sentenced; And a bit more.
Defense OneDec 26, 2022
Kyiv Ready to Begin Counteroffensive, Senior Ukrainian Official Says
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The Facts
Ukraine is ready to launch its much-anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces, a senior Ukrainian official has said in an interview with the BBC.
Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, didn't give a date but said Ukraine's attempts to regain territory lost in the last 15 months of fighting "could happen tomorrow, the day after tomorrow or in a week."
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
After months of planning and preparation — with Kyiv reportedly building up 60K forces for this counteroffensive — the 15-month war is now poised to enter one of its most critical phases. However, exactly where Ukraine will launch this counteroffensive remains to be seen.
Establishment-critical narrative
Talk of Ukraine's counteroffensive has been hyped up for months. The problem is that Ukraine could end up paying the price for such a successful PR campaign: If the counteroffensive doesn't live up to expectations, Western support could dry up, and Kyiv could be forced to the negotiating table.
Pro-Russia narrative
The West's pushing of Ukraine to launch this counteroffensive despite the likely catastrophic consequences for its country is yet another indication of how the West wants to inflict damage on Russia without consideration for the damage it will do to Ukraine.
