“As policymakers debate the future of the Black Sea peninsula, more are coming around to the view that ending the Russian occupation is possible.” “Just over a year ago, most western commentators and policymakers had effectively written off Ukraine ever regaining control of Crimea … invaded and annexed [by Russia] in … 2014. … [even as] it was still officially […]
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“… Why this obsession with war and death? … [T]he Russian army has suffered at least 200,000 dead and wounded, according to Western estimates, and over 140,000 dead alone, according to the Ukrainian General Staff’s estimates. (The two numbers aren’t necessarily incompatible, as there are numerous reports of Russian soldiers leaving their wounded comrades on the battlefield to die. …) […]
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“A year on from the disastrous invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin could be just one crisis away from collapse.” “… Putin is notorious for asking Russian historians how he will be judged a hundred years hence. With his invasion of Ukraine, he has ensured that he will be assessed a failure, an example of the way hubris can devour any […]
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“… In Ukraine, what is it that he’s gained? … [H]e’s hurt Russia’s reputation — it’s far worse than it ever was. He consolidated the Ukrainian nation, whose existence he denied. He is expanding NATO, when his stated aim was to push NATO back from the expansion undertaken since 1997. He’s even got Sweden applying for NATO membership. And, so, […]
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“… SECRETARY ANTONY BLINKEN: … You’re right that 90 — 97 percent or so of their ground forces have been engaged in this war, which is extraordinary. And the losses to date have been horrific. Public figures suggest 200,000 casualties. … a combination of … killed and … wounded. The destruction of their war machine itself, the tanks, the armored […]
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(Voice of America – voanews.com – Feb. 19, 2023) Ukraine shot down at least six balloons over Kyiv on Wednesday, according to the British Defense Ministry’s daily intelligence update on Ukraine posted on Twitter. The report said the Ukrainian armed forces spotted the balloons with radar reflectors suspended from them over Kyiv. On Feb. 12, Ukraine’s air force said it […]
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(Moscow Times – Nurbek Savitahunov, Samantha Berkhead, Pyotr Kozlov – Feb. 21, 2023) President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday vowed to press onward with Russia’s war in Ukraine and railed against the West for a litany of wrongdoings in his first state-of-the-nation address since invading Ukraine one year ago. Addressing lawmakers from both houses of parliament alongside other members of the […]
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(Moscow Times – Feb. 20, 2023) Jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny published a 15-point plan outlining his view of Russia’s future in the postwar era on Monday, predicting Russia’s “military defeat” and outlining his plans to transform Russia into a parliamentary republic. Entitled “15 theses of a Russian citizen who desires the best for their country,” Navalny’s Twitter thread was […]
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“Ukraine has withstood and repelled the mighty Russian military through Western support, Russian blundering, and its own resourcefulness. However, the circumstances could be changing. … Commander Zelenskyy: Zelenskyy personified the grit. His unvarnished nightly addresses from Kyiv turned him into a charismatic wartime leader …. [I]mpassioned speeches to foreign audiences kept Ukraine in the world’s eye and persuaded Western leaders […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) U.S. officials are telling Ukrainian leaders that they are facing a critical moment to change the trajectory of the war, raising the pressure on Kyiv to make significant gains on the battlefield while aid from the West is flowing, WP reported. “We can’t do anything and everything forever,” one senior administration official said, warning that it will […]
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(The Whitehouse – December 17, 2023) … Q Zelenskyy today spoke at the Munich Security Conference, and he asked the West — urgently appealed to the West to provide more, bigger, heavier weapons more quickly because everyone fears the offensive that is expected. So, you know, what do you say to Zelenskyy? What will Harris say when she, you know, […]
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“… U.S. intelligence estimates show combined Russian and Ukrainian military casualties well in excess of 200,000 — while the United Nations estimates at least 7,100 Ukrainian civilian deaths. The number of internally displaced people within Ukraine stands at roughly 6 million. An additional 8 million Ukrainian refugees have fled to other countries in Europe — the largest wave of refugees […]
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“… Ukraine has been steeling itself for stepped-up Russian offensives … in the east and south, and the likelihood of new attacks … mark[ing] the anniversary of the invasion on Feb. 24. … Ukraine [reportedly] has already had to deal with volleys of more than 100 rockets in a single day, and that it would do so again. … The […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) The Russian military has learned from its mistakes in Ukraine and now stands a chance to “snatch a diminished variant of victory from the jaws of defeat,” according to Dara Massicot of RAND. That victory would entail consolidating Russia’s control over its occupied holdings in Ukraine’s south and east, but Moscow “is unlikely to achieve its […]
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“… All around this front line in flux, Ukrainians are preparing for the possibility that Russia will continue its creeping advance. This is a war of feet, not miles — and nowhere is that more apparent than in the wintry countryside outside Bakhmut … epicenter of Russia’s push to regain momentum …. Any Ukrainian fallback [reportedly] is likely to be […]
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(U.S. Department of State – Feb. 13, 2023) Do not travel to Russia due to the unpredictable consequences of the unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian military forces, the potential for harassment and the singling out of U.S. citizens for detention by Russian government security officials, the arbitrary enforcement of local law, limited flights into and out of Russia, […]
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“… One final factor may contribute to this eagerness to see civilization itself under deadly siege in Ukraine. Demonizing Russia provides a convenient excuse for postponing or avoiding … a critical reckoning with the present American version of that civilization. Classifying Russia as a de facto enemy of the civilized world has effectively diminished the urgency of examining our own […]
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“As the one-year mark of the Ukraine-Russia war approaches, Moscow has failed in many of its objectives. Ukraine has effectively blunted several major Russian advances and reclaimed large swaths of its territory from invading forces. Though the war continues, and seems far from over, there are already many key takeaways from the fighting — and the conflict’s causes and implications […]
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“Ukraine is expending more ammunition than Western governments can supply … NATO’s top official has said … warn[ing] [that NATO] is in an arms race against Russia. … [He also] said on Monday Russia had already started its long-expected offensive in eastern Ukraine …. Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, … will demand [NATO] significantly step up donations of artillery shells […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatters.org) Warnings by Ukrainian officials of a coming Russian offensive have multiplied in the past few days. A Ukraine military intelligence official has told the Kyiv Post that the Russian attack is expected to come around Feb. 24, while an adviser to the Ukrainian military told FT that the offensive could come within 10 days. Better trained and equipped […]
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“… [Russia’s] war [in Ukraine reportedly] will be expensive, cost lives and likely last at least a few years — or even become interminable. It will tax … American and European defense industries, especially when it comes to munitions, and could cause economic ruin in Russia. All this while the possibility of nuclear escalation remains. … [W]inning [reportedly] will depend […]
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“The Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin is visibly transforming into a full-fledged politician with his own views, which are nothing short of revolutionary.” “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought unprecedented infamy to Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of the Wagner mercenary group. … while debate rages over how close he really is to … Putin, what privileges he enjoys, and even whether […]
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“Judy Woodruff: Ukraine, you mentioned that you, we heard what you said last night, but we now also hear from Jim Jordan, who is a Republican congressman, that maybe some of the money being spent in Ukraine should go for American citizens. We heard Kevin McCarthy say, begin to raise questions about it. It’s now been $100 billion, somewhere in […]
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“… Zelenskyy pushed for fighter jets to ensure [Ukraine]’s victory over Russia in a dramatic speech before the U.K. Parliament, where he also thanked the British people for their support …. The embattled leader’s daring visit to Britain in a bid for more advanced weapons comes as Ukraine braces for an expected Russian offensive and hatches its own plans to […]
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(Jamestown Foundation – jamestown.org – Eurasia Daily Monitor: Volume 20, Issue 21 – Ksenia Kirillova – Feb. 6, 2023) In the 12th month of Russia’s war against Ukraine, analysts close to the Kremlin are increasingly sounding the alarm that the Russian people should prepare for a long-term conflict. At the same time, in the past, such statements were always accompanied […]
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(Kennan Institute – wilsoncenter.org/program/kennan-institute – William E. Pomeranz – Feb. 6, 2023) William Pomeranz is the Director of the Wilson Center’s Kennan Institute, We are fast approaching the one-year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Everyone is expecting an escalation of the war this spring – Russia is poised to mobilize more troops, while Ukraine will deploy its new tanks […]
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“How great is the risk for the West after the decision to send tanks to Ukraine? In an interview, Russia expert and former U.S. government adviser Angela Stent discusses German weapons deliveries to Kyiv and the mistakes made in dealing with Moscow.” “DER SPIEGEL: … How might this war end? Stent: Nobody knows … because neither side is interested in […]
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“The assessment from the DoD officials is likely to anger Kyiv, which wants to recapture the peninsula from Russia.” “Ukrainian forces are unlikely to be able to recapture Crimea from Russian troops in the near future, four senior Defense Department officials told House Armed Services Committee lawmakers in a classified briefing. The assessment is sure to frustrate leaders in Kyiv […]
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“… Ukrainian officials have warned Russia is preparing for a fresh offensive to coincide with the first anniversary of its full-scale invasion … Moscow began mobilizing roughly 300,000 additional men last September after Ukrainian forces drove Russia out of swaths of territory …. More than half … [reportedly] are likely to be deployed in any new offensive …. [with] [t]he […]
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“Moscow is sending poorly trained recruits, including convicts, to the front lines in eastern Ukraine to pave the way for more seasoned fighters, U.S. and allied officials say.” “The number of Russian troops killed and wounded in Ukraine is approaching 200,000, a stark symbol of just how badly … Putin’s invasion has gone, according to American and other Western officials. […]
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(Russia Matters – russiamatter.org – Jan. 30, 2023) No Russian government would ever accept Ukrainian independence, George Kennan warned in a 1948 paper. The United States should not encourage Ukraine’s separation from Russia, but if it were to occur, Washington should not interfere even though an independent Ukraine would be “challenged eventually from the Russian side,” according to Kennan’s paper, […]
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“News that the United States could soon send rockets nearly doubling the firing range of Ukrainian forces gave Kyiv a big lift … even as its troops were being pushed back by a relentless Russian winter offensive in the east. In … Kyiv, authorities raided the home of one of Ukraine’s most prominent billionaires and a former interior minister, the […]
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(Moscow Times – Farida Rustamova, Maxim Tovkaylo – Jan. 29, 2023) Talk of a second mobilization wave in Russia has been on everyone’s lips in recent weeks. Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov claimed it would begin at the start of January. And, citing Western intelligence officials, CNN reported last week that Russian President Vladimir Putin was considering drafting a further […]
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“Soaring demand for munitions hasn’t translated yet into big sales for arms producers suffering from supply chain snarls, labor shortages.” “… [Q]uantities of arms the U.S. is sending to Ukraine are eye-catching: [such as] thousands of artillery shells and missiles, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition …. [with] [t]he total security assistance package[]now worth more than $27 billion […]
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“Nearly a year after he invaded Ukraine … Putin has failed to achieve any of his major objectives. He has not unified the alleged single Slavic nation, he has not ‘denazified’ or ‘demilitarized’ Ukraine, and he has not stopped NATO expansion. Instead, the Ukrainian military kept Russian troops out of Kyiv, defended Ukraine’s second-largest city, Kharkiv, and launched successful counteroffensives […]
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“The U.S. military is leading a team that is helping to repair Ukraine’s military hardware over the phone. These virtual exchanges often take place during battle, [AP] reported. Ukrainian troops, meanwhile, are pushing artillery systems to the limits to keep Russia at bay.” Click here for: “Ukrainian troops are calling the U.S. military in the middle of shootouts with Russia […]
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“… Budanov’s forecast for this year is that Russia will focus on occupying more territory in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions. A renewed offensive from its forces stationed north of Ukraine, in Belarus, is unlikely, he said …. Asked if he thinks Ukrainian troops reaching Crimea, which Russia invaded and annexed illegally in 2014, could trigger … Putin to […]
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“… [T]he war in Ukraine will pass its one-year mark [Feb. 24] with no end in sight. … [C]osts are mounting, Europe faces an epic refugee crisis, tens of thousands … have died and total casualties … run into the hundreds of thousands. Plans to provide Ukraine with Western tanks … indicate … America, Germany and others are settling in […]
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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on: COUNTERING RUSSIAN AGGRESSION: UKRAINE AND BEYOND January 26, 2023 Victoria Nuland Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs U.S. Department of State foreign.senate.gov/download/01/26/2023/012623_-nuland_testimony1 [Watch the hearing: foreign.senate.gov/hearings/countering-russian-aggression-ukraine-and-beyond] Chairman Menendez, Ranking Member Risch, and distinguished Members of the Committee, It is an honor to join you for the first hearing of the new Congress. It […]
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“Russia may not have enough missiles to continue conducting massive strikes against Ukraine for more than three months …. Estonia’s Intelligence Chief Margo Grosberg said that based on Russia’s current capability for producing precision-guided munitions, it could continue to carry out the missile strikes … for three to four more month …. [His] ‘more pessimistic’ outlook is … six to […]
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“President Vladimir V. Putin is on his third overall commander in Ukraine. But his military’s fundamental issues have not been addressed, Western officials say.” “Gen. Valery V. Gerasimov, … architect of … Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, [reportedly] took over the day-to-day running of Russia’s war effort this month by convincing his boss that his predecessor was too passive …. Promoting […]
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Senate Foreign Relations Committee Hearing on: COUNTERING RUSSIAN AGGRESSION: UKRAINE AND BEYOND January 26, 2023 Celeste Wallander Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs U.S. Department of Defense foreign.senate.gov/download/012623_-wallander_testimony3 [Watch the hearing: foreign.senate.gov/hearings/countering-russian-aggression-ukraine-and-beyond] Ranking Member Risch, Members of the Committee, thank you for the opportunity to appear before you today. Russia’s war against Ukraine is the worst crisis in […]
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“Kyiv seen needing powerful new weapons urgently as Moscow sets in for the long haul.” “Behind the decision to sharply step up Western military aid to Ukraine lies a worry in some Western capitals that time might be on Russia’s side. That concern suggests the window for Ukraine isn’t indefinite and it needs powerful Western weapons — main battle tanks, […]
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Jan. 30, 2023, 12:30pm – 1:30pm ET LOCATION: Washington, D.C. 6th Floor, Flom Auditorium, Woodrow Wilson Center and Online wilsoncenter.org/event/bucha-after-russian-occupation-buchas-mayor-destruction-his-city-and-hopes-future Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Bucha was a quiet residential community of some 50,000 people on the outskirts of Kyiv. Russian forces began their assault on the town on February 27 as part of their campaign to […]
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“Reports that Russian forces have systematically looted Ukrainian museums drives home the reality that … Putin’s policies mirror those of … Hitler. …. Like rape, torture and murder, some of those actions could be blamed on lack of direction from military leaders, but repeated missile attacks on civilian dwellings and infrastructure can only be due to high-level strategic planning. … […]
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“Moscow could increase defenses or attacks but is already struggling to gain ground.” “Months before modern Western tanks reach Ukraine, their anticipated delivery has the power to shift battlefield dynamics by forcing Russia to act faster than it had planned — or is ready — to do. The U.S., Germany, Poland and other [Ukrainian] allies … said they would send […]
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“Ukraine’s military acknowledged a gain for Russian forces that brings them closer to encircling the strategic eastern city of Bakhmut.” “Ukrainian forces have retreated from the small town of Soledar following weeks of bitter fighting, a military spokesman said on Wednesday, acknowledging a military gain for Russian forces that brings them closer to encircling and possibly capturing the strategic eastern […]
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“Ukraine needs any weapon its troops can learn to use, including tanks, to hold the line on the international order and the world’s safety.” “Some NATO nations are wavering about sending tanks and other advanced weapons to Ukraine. I understand fears of escalation, but if Russia wins in Ukraine, the world will lose. …” Click here for: “To Defend Civilization, […]
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“A Ukrainian victory could lead to the fall of the Russia Federation as we know it, according to one European economist. … Given that Russia is currently divided into a total of 89 regions — including 21 republics, 6 federal territories, 2 federal cities (Moscow and St. Petersburg), 49 regions, 1 autonomous region and 10 autonomous areas — [the economist] […]
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“The [Putin] regime … is living on borrowed time. … If the West holds firm, Putin’s regime will likely collapse in the near future. Yet some of Ukraine’s key partners continue to resist supplying Kyiv with the weapons it needs …. The end of Putin’s tyrannical rule will indeed radically change Russia (and … the world) …. [But] [r]ather than […]
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