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US Secretary of State Blinken said Russia claimed to have the second-best army in the world, but now “many see the Russian military as the second-strongest in Ukraine”.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized Russia’s military on Friday, saying Russia was “much worse today than it was before the full-scale invasion” of Ukraine in February 2022.
In a speech in Helsinki, Finland, Blinken said: “The Kremlin has often claimed it has the second most powerful army in the world — and many believe it. Today, many see the Russian army as the second strongest in Ukraine.
In the speech, Blinken described Russia’s war against Ukraine as a “strategic failure” that reduced Russia’s “military, economic and diplomatic power, and its influence for years to come.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has taken a heavy toll on Ukrainian citizens and Ukrainian forces – and its army. Even the leader of the Wagner Group helping the Russian army complained about the lack of support and ammunition on the front lines.
While Blinken called for a stronger Ukraine and peace between the two countries, he rejected calls for a cease-fire while Russia controls the land it has seized in eastern Ukraine.
“It would legitimize Russia’s land grab,” Blinken said. He will reward the aggressor and punish the victim.”
Russia is currently facing a Ukrainian counterattack. British intelligence said on Friday that Russia was struggling between using its resources to fight in Ukraine or against small-scale militant attacks within its borders.
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