Prepared by – Mohamed Tharwat
The war between Russia and Ukraine has approached 4 months, following it broke out on February 24, and the situation on the ground is still ambiguous, following the amendments made to the Russian war plan, which currently focuses on the annexation of the Donbass region in eastern Ukraine.
The international media, and the Western media in particular, are trying to explore the Kremlin’s ultimate goals of the war in Ukraine, through some interpretations of the statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Evidence for Putin’s statements
CNN said Putin’s recent statements indicate that he aims to restore the former Russian empire, which is the Russian president’s ultimate goal from the war in Ukraine and beyond.
The network indicated, in a news analysis, published on Sunday, to the meeting that brought Putin together with a group of young Russian businessmen, where his words confirmed that the ultimate goal for him is to restore the glories of the Russian Empire.
Who is Peter the Great?
“Some analysts have picked up the most interesting points in Putin’s statements, in which he compares himself to the former Russian czar Peter the Great, one of the leaders who contributed to Russia’s modernization, and the founder of St. Petersburg, Putin’s hometown, who ruled the country at the end of the 17th century,” she added. .
It quoted Putin as saying: “Peter the Great waged the Great Northern War for 21 years, and in the meantime he faced a war with Sweden, where he regained lands from them. He did not seize anything, he just restored things to their origins. That was the situation.”
Expected minions
Putin pointed out that Peter the Great established the Russian capital at that time, which is St. Petersburg, which remained the capital of the country for two centuries, and witnessed most of the Russian historical events, and at that time European countries did not recognize it as the capital of Russia, but considered it as part of Sweden, until It was actually installed.
“CNN” saw that what Putin said, by recalling the memory of Peter the Great, shows that the Russian president’s goals are driven by historical fate, and believes that he can achieve the project of the Russian Empire, which extends to other regions that were affiliated with the Russian Empire or the Soviet Union, which is Something that should raise the alarm in all countries that emerged from the collapse of the Soviet Union.
She noted that in Putin’s view, Russia’s survival as a global power is linked to remaining an empire, no matter the cost of achieving this ultimate goal.
Tag:
Vladimir Putin
The conflict Russia – Ukraine, minute by minute | Ukrainian troops would withdraw from Severodonetsk
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Zelensky announced that he will suspend gas and coal exports
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced on Tuesday in a recorded message that the country will suspend gas and coal exports to go through “the most difficult winter of all the years of independence”.
“In the current situation, due to Russia’s aggression, this will undoubtedly be the most difficult winter of all the years of independence. But, everything is fine. We must overcome it so that our people feel the normal work of the State,” said the president. -. Right now, we will not sell our gas and coal abroad. All national production will be used for the internal needs of our citizens“.
The decision, Zelenski added, was made following a meeting with members of the government in which representatives of state energy companies and regulators also participated.
In parallel, the head of state stressed that the government is doing “everything” to increase electricity export capacities. In this regard, he stressed that the incorporation of Ukraine into the European energy network not only ensures the additional flow of foreign exchange earnings, but also contributes to the stabilization of the energy situation in neighboring countries that have decided to reduce the consumption of Russian supplies.
Russia promised to ensure the safety of Ukrainian ships exporting grain
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov assured that Russia is “ready” to guarantee, in cooperation with Turkey, the safety of grain ships leaving Ukrainian ports..
“We are ready to ensure the safety of ships departing from Ukrainian ports… in cooperation with our Turkish colleagues,” Lavrov told a news conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.
Lavrov arrived in Ankara on Tuesday night to discuss the creation of maritime corridors to facilitate the export of grain.
At the request of the UN, Turkey offered its help to escort the ships. For Cavusoglu “the UN plan is reasonable and feasible.” “Ukraine and Russia should accept it,” he estimated.
Ukraine is the world’s fourth largest exporter of maize and was on the verge of becoming, before the war, the world’s third largest exporter of wheat: each month it exported 12 percent of the wheat, 15 percent of the maize and 50 percent of the world sunflower oil
The conflict that began on February 24 has triggered prices and has put several countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East, on the brink of famine.
The Turkish minister also said it would be “legitimate” to lift sanctions once morest Russian agricultural exports.. “If we are to open the Ukrainian international market, we think it is legitimate to lift obstacles to Russian exports,” Cavusoglu said.
The Russian Church changes its head of Foreign Affairs
The Orthodox Patriarchate of Moscow, the Church close to President Vladimir Putin commanded by Patriarch Kiril (or Cyril), changed its head of Foreign Affairs in a gesture read in the Vatican as a hardening of religious support for the war in Ukraine.
Through a formal statement, the Russian Church announced last night that the “chancellor”, Metropolitan Hilarion, will be replaced by Metropolitan Antonio de Korsun37, and Kiril’s former personal secretary.
Hilarionwho since the beginning of the war, he maintained a distant positionwill act as administrator of the Hungarian Orthodox diocese of Budapest, in the midst of the rapprochement of the prime minister of that European country, Viktor Orban, to the Russian positions.
Hilarion, 55, who had already held the leadership of the Hungarian diocese between 2003 and 2009, appears as the top candidate to succeed Kiril, 75, at the head of the Patriarchate.
Antonio de Korsun, meanwhile, is a highly trusted religious of Kiril, to the point that at the age of 24 he had already been appointed his private secretary.
The change in the Patriarchate’s foreign relations comes just days following Orban achieved Kirill’s removal from the list of people sanctioned by the European Union.
Since the beginning of the war, Kirill has justified the conflict and received criticism from Pope Francis himself, who decided to postpone a meeting scheduled for June 14 in Jerusalem with the Orthodox leader.
Francis and Kirill spoke in mid-March, in the midst of the war, in a conversation that found the papal rejection of any justification for the conflict.
“At one time there was also talk in our Churches of holy war or just war. Today we cannot talk like that. Christian awareness of the importance of peace has developed,” the Pope said at the time.
Zelensky claimed that “more than 31,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine”
Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky said that “more than 31,000 Russian soldiers have died in Ukraine” since the beginning of the invasion, on February 24.
“Russia pays for this completely senseless war almost 300 lives of its soldiers every day. But there will be a day when, even for Russia, the number of losses will be unacceptable,” Zelensky said, citing his own balance sheet.
The Russian Ministry of DefenseMeanwhile, he announced that the Armed Forces of Ukraine have suffered significant losses in Donbass.
“The Ukrainian military suffers significant losses in troops, weapons and military equipment in Donbass,” Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov said.
“The losses of the Ukrainian troops amounted to more than 300 nationalistssix tanks, 15 armored fighting vehicles, 36 field artillery pieces and mortars, four Grad multiple rocket launcher systems and more than 20 units of military vehicles in just three days of fighting in Sviatogorsk in the Donetsk People’s Republic,” the spokesman affirmed and claimed the independence of that pro-Russian province.
Ukrainian troops would withdraw from Severodonetsk
Ukrainian troops may soon have to withdraw from Severodonetska strategic city in the east of the country that is the center of the Russian offensive to secure the eastern fringe of Ukraine.
Russia claimed yesterday that it had full control of the residential areas of Severodonetsk while Ukraine continued to hold the industrial zone and the outskirts..
Sergei Gaidai, governor of the Luhansk region, on which Severodonetsk depends, said Ukrainian forces may have to withdraw from the town.
“It may be necessary to withdraw to more fortified positions”declared in an interview on the 1+1 network, although he assured that the withdrawal would not imply the handing over of the city to the Russian authorities.
On Tuesday night, President Volodimir Zelensky said that the “heroic defense of the Donbass continues”.
Severodonetsk and the twin city of Lisichansk are the last major kyiv-controlled urban core in Luhansk.
They are currently the main battleground because their seizure would clear Russia’s path to Kramatorsk, the de facto administrative capital of Donbass.
Russia punishes army officers for sending 600 conscripts ‘to the front lines’ at the start of the war | International
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Until now, the Kremlin has refused to declare the general or partial mobilization of the population, which is opposed by a majority of Russians, although two thirds of the inhabitants of this country, according to polls, support the military operation ordered by Putin. .
The Russian Army announced today that it has punished regarding twelve officers for sending nearly 600 conscripts to the front in Ukraine, which was recognized by the president himself, Vladimir Putin, two weeks following the start of the “special military operation”.
The Military Prosecutor’s Office has adopted once morest “regarding twelve officers” disciplinary measures, which included the expulsion of the Armed forces.
During an intervention before the Senate, Artur Yeguiev, military prosecutor of the western district, explained that some 600 recruits were involved in the military operation, but added that “everyone came back in a short period of time.”
Despite the complaints, both the Ministry of Defense and Putin initially denied that recruits participated in combat in the neighboring country. Despite this, on March 9 the head of the Kremlin ordered an investigation into it.
Then, the Kremlin recalled that Putin had ordered the Army before the start of the military intervention “categorically exclude”. This, specifically regarding the participation of conscripts who perform military service in “any mission” on the territory of Ukraine.
To this day, it is unknown how many Russian conscripts died in combat and whether those who were captured by enemy troops have already been released.
Retaliation once morest the Russian Army
According to the press, among the 27 disappeared recognized by the authorities in the sinking of the Moskva cruiser, flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, there were also conscripts.
The crew of the Moskva have been included as participants in the military campaign in Ukraine. This, so that their families can receive subsidies and pensions, as reported today by the Medusa digital diary.
At the end of March, the Russian Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, assured that the 134,500 recruits called up in the spring will not be sent to conflict zones.
Some experts and former army officers believe that Putin needs to increase the number of soldiers in Ukraine. The above, if you want to achieve the full demilitarization of the country.
Russia has not returned to give numbers of casualties in its ranks since on March 25 it recognized 1,351 soldiers killed in the military campaign in Ukraine.
Our air defenses break down Ukrainian drones ‘like walnuts’
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Posted in: 06/06/2022 – 08:30
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned the United States during an interview broadcast Sunday 05/06 that Russia would bomb new targets if the West provided Ukraine with longer-range missiles for use in high-precision mobile missile systems.
The United States has ruled out sending US or NATO forces to Ukraine, but Washington and its European allies have provided Kyiv with weapons such as drones, heavy howitzers, Stinger anti-aircraft missiles and Javelin anti-tank missiles. US President Joe Biden said last week that Washington would provide Ukraine with the HIMARS missile systems following receiving assurances from Kyiv that they would not be used to target Russia.
Putin said the arms shipments were “not new” and did not change anything, but warned that there would be a response if the United States provided long-range missiles to HIMARS systems, which have a maximum range of 300 km or more. In an interview with the state television station Rossiya-1, Putin said that in the event of the provision of such missiles, “we will bomb those targets that we have not yet begun to strike.”
Putin said the range of Lockheed Martin’s HIMARS systems depended on the missiles they were being supplied with and that the range the United States had announced was regarding the same as the Soviet-made missile systems Ukraine already had. “This is not new. It does not fundamentally change anything,” Putin said. He added that these weapons only replaced those destroyed by Russia. Putin did not specify what targets Russia intends to bomb but said the “fuss” over Ukraine’s supply of Western weapons was aimed at prolonging the conflict.
The US Department of Defense said it would provide Ukraine with four HIMARs systems in addition to the multiple launch system for guided missiles, which it said has a range of more than 64 km, twice the range of the howitzers it provided. Speaking of the drones delivered to Ukraine by Western countries, Putin said that Russian air defenses “break them like walnuts.” He said that dozens of rallies were destroyed.
Although Russian officials have warned that a US decision to provide Ukraine with advanced missile systems would exacerbate the conflict, Putin said it would not bring regarding any fundamental changes on the battlefield. The interview, which the Kremlin said was recorded on June 3 in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, showed Putin sitting in front of a giant map of Russia, Europe and Central Asia. In response to a question regarding Ukraine’s grain exports, Putin said the best solution would be to transport it through Belarus, but said sanctions should be lifted on this country.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, shipments of grain from its Black Sea ports have been halted and more than 20 million tonnes of grain remain in silos. Putin and Russian officials do not use the words war or invasion and say it is a “special military operation” aimed at stopping the persecution of Russian speakers in eastern Ukraine. Putin describes the operation as a turning point in Russian history and Moscow’s rebellion once morest the United States, which he says has humiliated Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Ukraine says it is fighting for its very survival once morest Russian aggression.