This happened last nightIf there is going to be serious talk about the end of the battle, then only with Vladimir Putin. Ukrainian President Zelensky said. And in Russia, veterans are calling for a fiercer war.
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky only wants to sit down with Vladimir Putin to end the war, and no one else. “He’s the one who decides everything.” Zelenksi said in a video address to the World Economic Forum in Davos. “I cannot accept any other meeting with anyone from the Russian Federation. Only Putin personally deals with the end of this war. And that should also be the only item on the agenda of such a meeting: stopping the fight. Any other conversation is useless.” Zelensky, however, immediately indicated that because of ‘Russian treatment of civilians in occupied territories’ it is becoming increasingly difficult to organize negotiations.
Deal with China
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has announced that his country will strengthen ties with China. That country has information and communication technology that is “in no way inferior to that of the West.” “A good deal with China is mutually beneficial.”
We can only count on ourselves and on countries that don’t dance to the tune of others
At a meeting in Moscow, he said it cannot be otherwise because of the ‘russophobia’ that the West has exhibited since the invasion of Ukraine. In the fight against Western sanctions, according to Lavrov, Russia is looking for ‘reliable countries’ with which to trade from now on. However, if the West tries to approach again after that, the door will not be locked: ,,We will look at that seriously. However, we must ensure that we are no longer dependent on the West when it comes to important sectors such as security or the economy. We can only count on ourselves and on countries that don’t dance to the tune of others.”
Criticism of Putin
Russian nationalists are increasingly criticizing their country’s difficult “special military operation” in Ukraine. This is reported by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its daily update on the war. The calls for a general mobilization, which the Kremlin still do not want to announce, are growing. For example, an influential group of veterans wants Putin to declare war on Ukraine, so that he can call up more soldiers.
The reason for this fierce position seems to be the disastrous crossing of the river Siverski Donets on 11 May. Hundreds of Russian soldiers would have died in a Ukrainian attack. There was immediately criticism at the time: who crosses a river in the middle of a war zone, where there is fierce fighting? Even Russian observers then questioned the competence of the army leadership.
Death penalty for deserters
The veterans call on Putin in a letter to declare a mobilization in all regions bordering NATO countries. ‘Regional defense troops’ must also be formed there and military service must be extended from one to two years. Putin also needs to make it clearer that Russian troops are not only engaged in the ‘denazification’ of Ukraine, but are also fighting a war over historical Russian territories and the country’s position in the world order. Finally, the former officers demand the death penalty for deserters.
According to the ISW, the letter from the veterans fits into a pattern. Russians who basically support the invasion of Ukraine are increasingly openly criticizing the Kremlin. For example, there was recently criticism from the governor of Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave in the middle of the European Union, on the border between Poland and Lithuania. Anton Alichanov said the war had caused great economic damage in his region. It is very rare for a Russian official to spray such criticism in public, according to the ISW.
Russian losses
The British Ministry of Defense reports that Russia suffered as many losses in the first three months of this war as during the nine-year war in Afghanistan (in the 1980s). This would be due to a combination of poor tactical decisions at a lower level, poor air defenses, lack of flexibility and poor command structures. This has repeatedly led to mistakes and failures, which are also evident in the battle for the Donbas. The ministry notes that the Russian population is very sensitive to large losses. Public discontent will only increase if the number of casualties continues to rise.
More weapons
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said yesterday that twenty countries are prepared to provide Ukraine with new weapons for both land and sea combat. The US will supply, among other things, Harpoon cruise missiles that can be used against ships. The launcher for these missiles comes from the Danish Coastal Defence. The Czechs will also supply helicopters, tanks and missile systems. Italy, Greece, Norway and Poland are sending additional howitzers and artillery ammunition, Lloyd said. “Everyone understands what is at stake in this war. Russia’s aggression is an insult to the international legal order and a threat to freedom.”
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