The counteroffensive of the Ukrainian Armed Forces (AFU) is far from a failure, the real situation differs from what is stated on paper, Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley believes.

"It [counteroffensive] is far from a failure, in my view. It is way too early to make that kind of call. I think there is still a lot of fighting left to go," Milley said, according to the Voice of America as saying during a joint briefing with Pentagon Chief Lloyd Austin on Tuesday.

He believes that the counteroffensive may be slower than analysts thought when they considered possible scenarios, pointing out that reality differs from theory.

"There is a difference between a war on paper and real war. These are real people in real machines who are clearing real minefields and are really dying. So when that happens, units tend to slow down. And that’s rightly so, in order to survive, in order to get through these minefields. So they’re working their way through it," Milley said.

He said the Armed Forces of Ukraine can use additional combat capabilities. "What the Ukrainians have, though, is a significant amount of combat power not yet committed. And I will not yet say what is going to happen in the future, because it is going to be a Ukrainian decision as to when and where they commit their reserves, etc. Right now they are preserving their combat power and they are slowly, deliberately and steadily working their way through all these minefields. And it is a tough fight, it is a very difficult fight," the general said.

In turn, Austin noted the unity and determination of the allies to help Ukraine.

"We are going to continue to generate combat power. We are going to continue to push in additional Bradley fighting vehicles, and also Strykers, and artillery pieces… Our work continues, and we are going to do everything we can to make sure that Ukrainians are going to be successful," he said.