I have no idea what that comment is supposed to mean.
NATO advised Ukraine to withdraw from Bakhmut, a long while ago, but the Ukrainians were determined that it was a way to grind down the Russian forces at a rate well in excess of their own losses.
Various sources suggest that the Russian losses were around five times greater than Ukrainian and both US and UK military experts now reckon that they were wrong, the Ukrainians correct.
War is a crock of shit, it just depends who gets the largest share.
Also. What virtually no-one remembers or mentions, is that when Ukraine seceded from the greater Russia/Russian federation, call it what you will, the agreement with Russia was for virtually all arms within Ukraine to be surrendered to Russia and in return, the US and UK would stand as guarantors of Ukrainian security/independence. Russia signed-up to this - The Budapest Memorandum, 1994.