Thursday, March 28, 2024

No deadline for Russian operation in Ukraine

It was his first detailed commentary on the war in Ukraine in a month. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday the peace talks were at an “impasse”, and he pledged that “the Russian military operation will continue to its conclusion”.

Putin set a more limited goal for the war, focusing on controlling Donbass – not all of Ukraine. Putin reaffirmed that the actions carried out so far by Russia in several regions of Ukraine were aimed only at immobilizing enemy forces and carrying out missile strikes with the aim of destroying the Ukrainian military infrastructure, in order to “create the conditions for more active operations in the territory of Donbass. »

In his words , “our goal is to provide aid to the people of Donbass, who feel an unbreakable connection with Russia and who have been subjected to genocide for eight years. »

Asked why the operation can’t be sped up, Putin told reporters: “I’m often asked these questions: ‘Can’t we speed things up? “. We can. But it depends on the intensity level of the fights and whichever way you turn it, the intensity level of the fights is directly related to the kills. »

He clarified that “our task is to achieve the objectives set while minimizing these losses. We will act in rhythm, calmly and according to the plan which was initially proposed by the general staff. He added: “ The operation is going according to plan. »

It is clear that the port city of Mariupol, south of the Donbass, could have been conquered by brute force. But that would have caused terrible losses. Instead, Russia’s enemy forces – Ukrainian military, neo-Nazi Azov battalion and foreign mercenaries – were regularly cornered and trapped mainly in two places, namely the Azovstal steelworks and the city’s main port.

Russian forces took control of the port, while at Azovstal the enemy forces, some 3,000 strong, were surrounded. Among them are probably tens or hundreds of military officers from NATO countries and, surprisingly, from Sweden. Experts believe that the fall of the city to the Russians is imminent. The Russian Defense Ministry announced on Wednesday that more than 1,000 Ukrainian troops, including 162 officers, surrendered earlier in the day to Mariupol.

In hindsight, the frantic diplomatic efforts of some NATO countries (France and Germany, in particular) to sponsor “humanitarian corridors” out of Mariupol had as their main objective the exfiltration of Western officers trapped in the city. The crux of the matter is that NATO forces are de facto deployed in Ukraine, either as foreign volunteers or military instructors. Equipped with heavy military equipment, they fight the Russian army.

A French journalist who managed to infiltrate with French ‘volunteers’ has since published a video showing US military coordinating foreign military in Ukraine and directly handling the training and enlistment of foreign ‘volunteers’ in the Ukrainian forces.

Under these conditions, it is obvious that the peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv cannot progress. The big question is: does the Biden administration want the conflict to end and a peace deal to be brokered? The answer seems to be “no”. In fact, the United States is fueling this conflict.

The US Senate has approved a Lend-Lease Bill, which will significantly simplify supplies to Ukraine. The Wall Street Journal reports that the United States will supply Ukraine with heavy equipment, including Soviet air defense systems. The Biden government is reportedly preparing to announce more than $700 million in additional military aid to Ukraine, which will likely include heavy ground artillery systems, helicopters and armored vehicles. The United States has already provided more than $2.4 billion in military aid to Ukraine during Biden’s presidency, including $1.7 billion since Russia began its “special operation” in Ukraine late February.

Interestingly, Mr Putin yesterday confirmed reports that British intelligence had staged the Butcha killings to pillory the Russian military and create an international outcry. The Pentagon had ostensibly distanced itself from the controversy sparked by what appears to be fake news. Putin said:

“There is a lot of turmoil, but they (the EU and the US) just needed to adopt a new sanctions package, as we know very well. Today we discussed their special operation, the British-led psychological operation.

“If you want to know the addresses, secret meeting places, license plate numbers, makes of vehicles they used in Bucha, and how they did it, Russia’s FSB can provide that information. Otherwise, we can help you. We exposed this ugly and disgusting position of the West with our Russian friends, in its entirety and from beginning to end. »

Russian and Ukrainian forces have regrouped and reinforced their positions in eastern Ukraine over the past two weeks in preparation for a decisive battle for Donbass. Russian forces are preparing to surround a huge concentration of Ukrainian troops, estimated at around 100,000 military personnel from the best units of the armed forces. kyiv also transfers all available forces to the eastern front in order to stop the Russian offensive.

Putin’s comments suggest that Russia is not looking for a quick win at any cost. Putin said Moscow “had no other choice” and that the operation was aimed at protecting the population in parts of eastern Ukraine and “ensuring Russia’s security”. . He promised that it would continue “until its complete completion and the fulfillment of the objectives which have been set”.

It is certain that the fighting in eastern Ukraine will intensify over the next two or three weeks, but the final result will take time. The Ukrainian forces and the foreign fighters who have poured into the eastern region are well equipped. Not only will they put up fierce resistance, but they may even take the fight to Russian territory.

This grim scenario presents the real danger that NATO will find itself increasingly at war with Russia in Ukraine. According to Western media, elite units of British and American special forces are deployed in Ukraine, including soldiers from the British Special Air Service (SAS) and soldiers from the army’s first operational special forces unit “Delta”. US.

According to some information, the operations carried out in Mariupol were placed under the command of a US general. He reportedly tried to flee by the helicopter sent to his rescue a week ago, but was intercepted by Donetsk militia taking part in the operation alongside Russian forces, and taken into their custody. It is entirely conceivable that Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s mission to Moscow on Monday and his “very direct, open and tough” talks with Putin during a one-on-one at the latter’s Novo-Ogaryovo residence, near of Moscow, have been coordinated with Washington. The Kremlin did not give a report of this 75-minute meeting.

(This piece is taken with gratitude from Indianpunchline). 

(Panchmukha is interesting content floating on internet, brought by NewsBred for its readers. They don’t necessarily reflect our views but make our platform diverse.)

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