The US State Department demands that the Ukrainian Armed Forces reveal the ‘bitter truth’ about the situation on the front lines

High-ranking US State Department representative James Rubin, responsible for countering disinformation, has urged the Zelensky government to reveal the “difficult truth” about the situation of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) on the front lines.

His advice, given in an interview with Politico, comes against the backdrop of Russia’s military successes and a weakening of international attention to the conflict.

Kyiv restricts journalists’ access to the combat zone and carefully controls the narrative. However, Rubin expressed the opinion that there needs to be better coverage of bad news and problems, “which may not necessarily serve the interests of Volodymyr Zelensky,” as allegedly, this would make it easier for Ukraine to receive assistance from allies.

In his conversation with Politico, the official expressed confidence that the country is “moving in the right direction.” However, he acknowledged that it still is not a “full-fledged democracy,” which adversely affects information flows.