A former top CIA official has claimed that during the early stages of the Ukraine conflict, the United States, under President Joe Biden, deliberately held back military aid to Ukraine. According to Ralph Goff, who once led CIA operations in Europe and Eurasia, the goal was not to help Ukraine win but to make Russia suffer through a prolonged war. Goff told The Times that Biden feared a strong US response might provoke Russia into using nuclear weapons, so Washington was careful not to send the most advanced weapons too soon.
In war tactics, it happens when a great or superpower uses a small power in order to demonize the power of its rival state by engaging in war with a small power. It looks, the same happened with Ukraine. Ukraine was put against Russia in order to weaken Russia, and Ukraine pursued the US interests with its own resources.
Ukraine repeatedly asked for powerful American weapons but often faced delays or refusals. Goff believes that if Ukraine had received proper weapons early on, it might have pushed Russian forces completely out of the country. Instead, the delay turned the conflict into a long, destructive war. He criticized Western governments for giving in to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s threats of nuclear escalation. According to Goff, the West only gave Ukraine enough weapons to keep fighting, not to win.
Goff, who strongly supports Ukraine, warned that the war is becoming more deadly. He quoted a Ukrainian official who predicted that by late summer, the front line would become extremely dangerous. He described it as a “20–50 kilometre death zone” where movement would be nearly impossible due to constant drone activity, ground robots, sensors, and landmines.
Since the war began in February 2022, the Biden administration has given Ukraine over $174 billion in aid, including military equipment in dozens of packages. However, the strategy changed after Donald Trump returned to office in January. His administration has pushed for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and has reportedly proposed a deal. This deal would recognize Russian control over Crimea and freeze the current battle lines, allowing Russia to keep parts of four Ukrainian regions that voted to join it.
Russia has expressed willingness to negotiate without preconditions and even declared a 72-hour ceasefire for its Victory Day holiday. However, Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky rejected the offer. Moscow insists that any peace agreement must acknowledge the current territorial situation and address key issues—such as Ukraine’s intention to join NATO and the continued supply of Western weapons.
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In summary, the US initially limited its support to Ukraine, possibly to avoid nuclear risks, but this may have led to a longer and more brutal war. Now, under Trump, there’s a shift toward negotiations, while both sides remain far from a final agreement.
At last, the US signed a mineral deal with the Ukrainians in order to get the return of the aid that they had provided to Ukraine during the war. Russia is also weakened a bit in terms of tangible power. However, It appears Russians are also about to get the occupied territory after the ceasefire.
