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No One Would Win a Long War in Ukraine
The West Must Avoid the Mistakes of World War I
In November 2022, General Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, sent shock waves through Western capitals when he declared that the war in Ukraine is unwinnable by purely military means.
- Vladislav Zubok
- Foreign Affairs
Milley suggested that Ukraine is now in a position of strength and that this winter might be the moment to consider peace talks with Russia.
He also recalled World War I, when the adversaries’ refusal to negotiate led to millions of additional deaths, suggesting that failure to “seize” the moment could lead to greatly more human suffering.
His remarks challenged not only the…