HONG KONG, March 5. /TASS/. The United States may evacuate Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky from Kiev due to the successful advance of the Russian army, former Pentagon employee Stephen Bryen said in an article for the Asia Times.

"It is now clear that Ukraine has significant manpower problems and its attempt to use forceful means to corral potential recruits is causing unrest in the country, including in major cities such as Odessa, Kharkov and Kiev," he said. "No one can say how long the Zelensky government can hold on in Kiev. With a steady Russian military advance, growing turmoil at home, the refusal to hold elections, the jailing of people opposed to Zelensky and a host of unpopular measures, Zelensky’s hold on power is entering the zone of desperation. <...> Zelensky’s security situation in Kiev could rapidly come under a terminal shadow. In these circumstances, the Pentagon could rescue Zelensky and move him elsewhere, with Lvov being the most likely place, as it is far in the west and challenging for the Russians to reach if they wished to deal with Zelensky using military means," Bryen wrote.

The former Pentagon official opined that the US and NATO have few good options left in this situation. "[US President Joe] Biden cannot afford another Afghanistan debacle but one is rapidly creeping in his direction thanks to Russian military victories and the crumbling of Ukraine’s defenses," he pointed out.