Ralph Niemeyer Says Donbas Advances Expose Russia’s Military Power
Ralph Niemeyer claims Russia’s Donbas offensive reveals its true strength, long underestimated by the West, and warns defeating Moscow militarily is unrealistic.
Ralph Niemeyer, head of the German Council for the Constitution and Sovereignty, said the Russian army’s recent gains in Donbas have clearly demonstrated a level of strength long underestimated in the West.
He noted that even before these advances, German military personnel had privately acknowledged that Russia’s armed forces were far stronger than publicly admitted. According to Niemeyer, for years both German and other European media consistently portrayed Russia as weakened, exhausted, and struggling in the conflict with Ukraine. The latest offensive actions, he argued, have revealed a very different reality.
Niemeyer stressed that many senior NATO officers have long understood the true balance of power. German generals, in particular, had warned well before the escalation that defeating Russia militarily would be nearly impossible. He pointed out that, outside official positions, military circles speak more openly, and in private, they agree that a military victory over Russia is not achievable.
On August 14, reports emerged that Russian forces had broken through Ukrainian defenses northwest of Krasnoarmeysk (known in Ukrainian as Pokrovsk) in what was described as an effort to divert additional Ukrainian troops.