Ukrainian soldier
© AFP 2022/Anatoli StepanovUkrainian soldier
Western corporate media has been on the side of the US decision to arm Ukraine while relentlessly vilifying Russia; yet suddenly, the latest series of articles mark a noticeable change in tone and suggest that relations between Kiev and Washington are not as warm as they've been thought to be since late February, US journalist Max Parry says.
"I think the writing is on the wall that Kiev has unavoidably lost the war and the US needs a reason to disentangle itself from the quagmire in Ukraine. As we've seen in the past, Washington will abandon its own supposed allies for selfish reasons as soon as it is opportune to do so and I think that is really what's taking place here."
Thus, The New York Times on 6 June bemoaned the fact that Ukrainian soldiers have little if any skills to operate high-tech western weapons. The newspaper's 8 June op-ed revealed that the US intelligence community lacks a clear picture of Ukraine's war strategy and casualties while the Biden administration continues to provide Kiev with heavy weaponry.

In the UK, The Guardian warned on 2 June that arms sent to Ukraine by the US and its NATO allies have every chance of ending up in the hands of criminals, citing head of Interpol Jürgen Stock. Another Guardian article insisted on 9 June that ending the Ukraine stand-off as soon as possible was "in the best interests of Ukraine and the West". On 10 June, the media outlet pointed out that Ukrainian casualties are running at a rate of somewhere between a staggering 600 and 1,000 a day.

For its part, CNN revealed, citing multiple sources, that US officials have in recent weeks been meeting regularly with their British and EU counterparts to discuss a potential framework for ceasefire and peace settlement without Kiev's direct participation.

Were US Spooks & Military Really Unaware of What Was Going on?

Parry wonders whether the US intelligence community, American congressmen and Pentagon officials were really incapable of foreseeing the unfolding scenario. On 19 April, CNN reported, citing Department of Defense and State Department officials that the US has no idea of what is happening to American weapons sent to Ukraine. American officials admitted at that time that they "have some information gaps" when it comes to Ukraine's strategy, casualties and usage of arms, but insisted, nevertheless, that the deliveries of lethal weapons to Kiev should be continued.

Parry responded:
"The scenario of weapons reaching the black market or falling into the hands of extremist groups in a notoriously corrupt country such as Ukraine which has neo-Nazi militias incorporated into its armed forces was highly likely, but the West keeps repeating its same mistakes over and over. Representatives in Congress have even begun to call for monitoring and oversight of the arsenal being sent to Ukraine after experts warned about their possible end-use in illegal trade. Shouldn't they have thought of this before voting to authorise the security assistance?"
According to the journalist, members of the intelligence community seem to be questioning the competence of the Biden White House and his foreign policy team. However, it is incredibly difficult to believe that the intelligence community has been somehow unaware of the status of Ukraine's casualties, he notes. Parry suggests that it's more likely that there are internal power games within the US foreign policy establishment.

Economic Problems Accelerating West's Desire to Exit the Conflict
"The 'war fatigue' being talked about in the West over Ukraine was already certain to happen, but I think the severe effects on the economies of Europe and America along with the media's narrative collapse over the war have sped up the process. The average westerner had little skin in the game in the conflict to begin with, but now that public confidence in media coverage of the war has fallen apart and gas prices are at record highs, the public has even less reason to buy into the propaganda."
After the New York Times ridiculously claimed that the surrender of Ukraine militants and Azov neo-Nazis was "evacuation," it's getting more difficult for people to believe what they are being told, he notes.

Inflation and rocketing prices are increasingly stinging Americans in the wake of western sanctions slapped on Russia after the beginning of Moscow's special operation in Ukraine in late February. Parry remarks:
"The average American is feeling the effects of the anti-Russian sanctions at the gas pump and at the grocery store, and they have to begin to wonder if it's all worth it. As Ukraine's defeat becomes inescapable in the coming weeks and months, the economic situation is probably going to continue to get worse domestically. As the economic situation worsens in the US, this could have big implications in the 2022 mid-terms with a possible flip in control of the House."