White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Russia’s appointment of a new military leader, “shows that there will be a continuation of what we’ve seen on the ground in Ukraine.”
“And that’s what we were looking forward to,” Psaki told Dana Perino in an interview on Fox News Sunday.
CNN reported on Saturday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had appointed a new general to direct the war in Ukraine as his military changed plans following its failure to capture Kyiv, according to a U.S. official and a foreign ministry official. European institution.
Officials told CNN that Army General Alexander Dvornikov, commander of Russia’s Southern Military District, has been appointed theater commander of Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine, after a series of failed battlefields and the There is a clear lack of coordination among groups of Russian forces operating in Ukraine.
Psaki called Dvornikov responsible for “the atrocities that we have seen in Syria and said that for Ukraine, the United States continues to work with officials to ensure they have the weapons and support they need. necessary for success on the battlefield.
“Just this week, our national security adviser, our secretary, and the chairman of our Joint Chiefs of Staff had a two-hour call with their counterparts to see item by item exactly what the Ukrainians ask for, what they want, if we can’t. meet their needs. We are working with our allies and partners as we did with the S-300,” said Psaki, referring to Slovakia’s delivery to Ukraine this week and the US’s intention to place a missile system. American Patriot in Slovakia. exchange.
Psaki also said the administration had found recognition from the Kremlin that its forces had suffered heavy losses, which is “interesting” for a country that has been slow to admit defeat.
“It’s very important,” she said, calling it a reflection of the “courage of Ukraine’s leaders.”
EDIT: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated which country sent the S-300 missile defense system to Ukraine.
