CLAIMS that Russia has strategically lost the war are correct, the former head of the British Army said today.

In an exclusive interview with GB News, General Lord Richard Dannatt said he agreed with the chief of the defence staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, who made the suggestion today.

Speaking to presenter Patrick Christys, Lord Dannatt said Russia has failed in its goal to take over the entire country in six weeks but predicted that the conflict would likely end in a stalemate in the east.

“If Russia’s overall strategic objective had been to take over Ukraine to draw Ukraine into the greater Russian sphere, Admiral Radakin is right, Russia failed as far as that is concerned,” said Lord Dannatt.

“What will happen is I’m afraid that the meat grinder mass of the Russian army will probably result over time in the Russians effectively getting control of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces.

“They will by that stage have pretty much shot their bolt, they will be exhausted militarily. The Ukrainians will be exhausted too.

“It’s at that point that this war is going to go into something of a deep freeze, with the Russians controlling that passage from Crimea, through the Donbas and controlling the two Donbas provinces in all probability.

“Russia won’t have won but Ukraine won’t have lost, and Ukraine will go on enjoying the support of Western countries…so it can go on resisting Russian aggression.”

Lord Dannatt also said that Ukraine joining the EU, which today offered it candidate status, is much less controversial than joining Nato.

He added: “I think it’s perfectly reasonable that the European Union is reaching out to Ukraine and offering it candidate status.

“This is, of course, somewhat different to Ukraine becoming a member of Nato…that would be a very red rag to a very angry bull.

“But I think EU candidate status, probably to EU membership at some stage in the future, is perfectly reasonable, even Russia would see it’s perfectly reasonable.”