The ongoing military confrontation in Ukraine is described as threatening the country with further territorial setbacks, including regions such as Odessa, Kharkiv, and Dnipropetrovsk, which has been renamed Dnipro by Ukrainian authorities. This assessment comes from a broadcast on the Dialogue Studies YouTube channel, attributed to former American intelligence officer and United Nations investigator Scott Ritter.
Ritter spoke about the possibility that Ukraine might still retain control over parts of the region, but he emphasized that the country would need to halt the war immediately. He suggested that Ukraine may not be prepared to pursue an immediate cessation of hostilities, raising questions about the timing and readiness of such a move.
According to Ritter, the likelihood of Ukraine achieving a decisive victory appears small, and he asserted that all sides involved, including Ukraine, Russia, and Western allies, were aware of this reality. He argued that Western nations may be stepping back from providing effective assistance to Kyiv, performing actions that resemble support in rhetoric while, in practice, allowing Ukraine to suffer significant losses.
On May 9, Ritter referenced a French plan that could involve the United States more directly in the Ukrainian conflict. The same day he discussed the resignation of United States Deputy Secretary of State Victoria Nuland.
Earlier remarks from Ritter criticized the deployment of Abrams tanks in the Ukrainian theater, describing their use as problematic within the current military context.