In an interview with the Financial Times, British Army Commander Tony Radakin expressed expectations that Ukraine will increase the number of long-range strikes on Russian territory after the increase in Western aid, Yevropeyska Pravda reports.
Radakin acknowledged that Ukraine's defence is currently under the influence of pessimism, as the country is struggling to repel the Russian offensive.
But the British commander, a key figure in the West's military support for Kyiv, stressed that long-term prospects should be taken into account, which are more in Kyiv's favour.
According to him, these include the latest military aid packages from the US and Europe, Ukraine's increasingly successful long-range strikes, and "Moscow's complete inability to cut off Kyiv's vital grain exports through the Black Sea".
"The danger of any instant assessment of the big picture is that it (ignores) where we are now and where we will be in the next couple of years," Radakin said.He added that people should stop "appeasing Russia" and believe that it "somehow has significant advantages".
Radakin did not express any obvious reservations about Ukrainian attacks and sabotage raids inside Russia.
"As Ukraine gets more long-range capabilities... its ability to continue deep operations will (increasingly) become a feature of the war," Radakin said, adding that such strikes "certainly have an effect."
After months of uncertainty about the West's strategy in Ukraine, Radakin spoke optimistically about a situation where all NATO countries are "talking about spending more money."
"I understand that all this is less comfortable if you are in Kyiv. You also have to recognise that Russia has been able to strike more effectively over longer distances than last year," he said.
Radakin also responded to criticism that the West does not have a comprehensive plan to help Kyiv achieve victory, and instead has only provided enough military assistance to prevent defeat.
"Don't wait for someone to say publicly: 'This is the plan,' and points A, B and C are going to happen," Radakin said. According to him, some elements of the military approach to Ukraine will be hidden, some will be dictated by tactical or operational superiority, and some will depend on more fundamental aspects.
Radakin added that some of these factors "will mature much more next year than this year".