The much vaunted spring offensive took forever to get started and quickly bogged down to another stalemate.

Even the New York Times is having cannot maintain optimism about where things are going:

After suffering heavy losses, Ukrainians paused to rethink strategy -  Lara Jakes, Andrew E. Kramer and Eric Schmitt, New York Times, 15 July 2023
https://archive.ph/IC8s4#selection-433.0-437.163

Early in the counteroffensive, Ukraine lost as much as 20 percent of its weapons and armor. The rate dropped as the campaign slowed and commanders shifted tactics.

In a sure sign of desperation the Biden administration and its NATO allies are ready to commit war crimes.  They are now shipping cluster bombs for use by the Ukrainian forces in their war effort.

The Grayzone - News and investigative journalism on empire

House votes down amendment to block cluster bomb shipments to Ukraine - The Grayzone

As US cluster munitions arrived in Ukraine, a bi-partisan vote struck down an effort to stop the internationally banned weapons' transfer. Meanwhile, every House Democrat and a majority of Republicans voted down a measure to strip $300 million of Ukraine aid from the NDAA. The House on Thursday night voted down an amendment to the

Read more from The Grayzone - News and investigative journalism on empire

Years from now Ukrainian children will have their legs and heads blown off by some of these unexploded bombs and Democrats will blame Trump.

A sure sign that things are going very badly for Ukraine and that the plans which the U.S. and NATO had for the country are not working out, is the sudden appearance (and reappearance) of several leading articles on this morning's CBC which are now beginning to question the war:

CBC

Ukraine's counteroffensive struggles against Russian fortifications, airpower | CBC News

A year and half into the war, Ukraine's counteroffensive against Russia might not look particularly impressive on the map, but at the front, it's clear that progress is being made - albeit slowly.

Read more from CBC

It's now about a month and a half.  The counteroffensive got nowhere.

Russian support for the war is as strong as ever, in fact growing:

CBC

Many assumed average Russians would sour on war in Ukraine. That hasn't happened | CBC News

A group of Russian researchers interviewed dozens of ordinary Russians and found that among the group were "new patriots," including some who were once skeptical of the invasion but have moved to support the military.

Read more from CBC

... whereas even Western elites are beginning to have serious doubts about the wisdom of this misadventure: 

CBC

ANALYSIS | In Ukraine war, neither side is winning. Is it time to negotiate? | CBC News

A month in, Ukraine's spring offensive is struggling against entrenched Russian forces and appears to have entered a near-frozen state, where neither side is making significant ground gains. That's renewing debate about whether now is the time to negotiate an end to the conflict.

Read more from CBC

Apollonius (Theocritos) said:

Read more from The American Conservative

Why?

Apollonius (Theocritos) said:

Years from now Ukrainian children will have their legs and heads blown off by some of these unexploded bombs and Democrats will blame Trump.

Soothsaying are we?