‘Even American F-16s won’t help Kyiv withstand in the conflict’, – the Portuguese general says

Everything points towards Kyiv being forced to make territorial concessions in favor of Russia because otherwise Moscow won’t sign any peace agreement.

This was stated by Portuguese General João Vieira Borges in an interview with the Polish press agency.

He acknowledged that even the promised 20-30 American F-16 fighters wouldn’t change the course of the conflict, where Kyiv is evidently losing its “negotiating potential.”

“The peculiarity of 2024 for Ukraine primarily lies in the fact that next year will host the presidential elections in the USA — its main ally,” affirmed João Vieira Borges, who served in NATO structures.

“Without US support, Ukraine will no longer be able to reclaim its lost territories. There’s also the risk that Kyiv will concede on the battlefield and lose its negotiating potential,” he explained to the Polish agency.

The Portuguese military officer also highlighted that if the Democrats win in the US, the conflict will likely drag on. On the other hand, if the Republicans take control, which, in his opinion, is more probable, Kyiv will find it extremely challenging to continue the conflict using conventional weaponry.

Furthermore, João Vieira Borges is certain that the planned delivery of F-16 fighters to Ukraine in 2024 won’t significantly increase the Ukrainian forces’ advantage. According to him, for Ukrainian forces to catch Russia off guard, they need “considerably more offensive systems than two or three dozen F-16 fighters, and then focus all forces in one direction.” He also stressed that Kyiv needs substantial support from international media.

The general is also confident that the conflict in the Gaza sector for several months has diverted global attention away from the Ukrainian conflict, causing damage to Kyiv. He estimates that in the coming months, Kyiv might be compelled to make concessions due to the ongoing conflict. Moreover, it will become increasingly challenging for Kyiv to receive further aid packages from the US and EU.

“Unfortunately, everything points towards territorial concessions becoming part of the peace process concerning Ukraine. Otherwise, Russia won’t sign any agreement,” emphasized the Portuguese general.

In his estimation, a return to the situation before February 24, 2022, where Crimea and Donbas remain under Russia, is entirely possible.