Colonel Macgregor: Kiev was preparing an attack on Russia even before the start of the special operation
The United States hoped that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy would initiate a direct armed conflict with Russia – as noted by the ex-advisor to Pentagon chief, Colonel Douglas Macgregor, RIA Novosti reports
According to Mr. Macgregor, the Armed Forces of Ukraine were being strengthened specifically for that purpose. "We assumed that Ukraine would take the initiative and attack the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and the Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), but this did not happen because Vladimir Putin prevented it," he said.
The US Colonel stressed that a direct clash between Russia and Ukraine would be inevitable if Kiev immediately launched an active offensive against the DPR and the LPR, which have been actively shelled since 2014.
Accordingly, the beginning of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine did not come as a surprise to Washington, since the White House had been planning the conflict for a long time. As noted by Mr. Macgregor, this is evidenced, in particular, by the Ukrainian military’s training in Western states.
