Ukraine’s military says it’s recapturing some of its sovereign territory from the Russian Federation in the South and East, reluctantly admitting that it’s square blocks, not square miles. “Over the past week . . . the area liberated in the east was increased by nine square kilometers (four square miles),” said Deputy Defense Minister Ganna Malyar. Malyar doesn’t admit that much of the territory seized by Ukraine’s army was already abandoned tby the Russian army. Ukaine’s Defemse Ninister Oleksi Resnikov said he won’t be pressure by the West about the rate of progress in Ukraine’s vaunted counteroffensive, promised for months by slowly getting off the ground. What Resnikov won’t admit is that war is stalemated, a frozen conflict not likely to make much progress toward ousting Russia’s forces anytime soon. Ukraine’s officials don’t want Western pressure to show results.
Ukraine’s Defense Ministry touted receiving U.S.-made A-1 Abrams tanks and Bradley Fighting Vehicles, not saying it’s not enough, insisting that Kiev receive a full contigent of F-16 fighter jets. Whatever Ukraine receives in lethal U.S. or NATO arms, it’s never enough for the Ukrainians to prevail over the Russian military. Ukraine’s 45-7year-old President Volodymyr said that Ukraine’s counteroffensive costs lives and he won’t be pressured to speed up the process. Zelensky won’t admit he started the counteroffensive months ago but doesn’t want to admit to his Western benefactors that the war is stalemated or frozen. “The situation is quite complicated,” Malyar said, referring to Russia’s entrenched positions causing problems for Ukrainian troops trying to capture new territory.
Zelensky and 80-year-old President Joe Biden refuses to admit that all the talk about renegade Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin threatening a coup at the Kremlin is all rubbish. Prigozhin has been exiled to Belarus, essentially dismantling his 25,000-man army, now waiting to join the Russian military or seek civilian jobs. Biden and hiis 67-year-old CIA Director William Burns keep talking about how the Ukraine War has created chaos and hardship in Russia. What they don’t admit is the chaos and hardship it creates in Ukraine. Paying Zelensky to fight a bloody proxy war with the Kremlin has all but destroyed U.S.-Russian relations, not to mention, causing widespread destruction in Ukraine. Zelensky opted to battle the Kremlin over the last 16 months, causing widespread destruction and losing some 25% of Ukraine’s sovereign territory, now he wants his land back.
Whatever happened with Prigozhin going insane, threatening to march on the Kremlin, he’s not long a factor threatening Putin or his top military brass. Prigozhin said he was angry at Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu for no supplying his Warner Group fighter with enough weapons in ammunitions causing untold numbers of deaths, especially in the months-long battle for Bakhmut. Prigozhin simply cracked under the pressure, essentially self-destructing. Prigozhin made millions from the Kremlin supplying food to the Russian military. Now he’s lost all his Kremlin business and may have a death warrant on his head. Western officials pretend that Prigozhin was a real threat to Putin’s power. Judging by how fast he took a plea deal and exiled to Belarus, it looks like Prigozhin’s was neutered by Putin. Washington and Kiev cannot tell the truth about the Ukraine War.
Zelensky seeks more lethal weapons from the U.S., asking recently for F-16 fighter jets, something that wouldn’t change things on the ground. Zelensky spent the last 16 months of war denying that Ukraine has lost any territory. When you look at the map published by the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War, it shows Russia occupying the entire Black Sea coast and all Ukraine’s strategic ports. Yet Zelensky, his Foreign Minister Dymtro Kuleba and his Propaganda Minister Kyrlyo Budanov never admit any losses to Ukraine’s military and sovereign territory, only minor gains for the so-called counteroffensive. At the rate Zelensky is going now, he would take years, if ever, to reclaim territory lost to the Kremlin. Zelsnsky wants more cash and weapons from the U.S. and NATO but has nothing to show for it, because he won’t be pressure to show results.
Ukraine’s commander –in-chief Valery Zalluzhny sais “it pisses me off” when he hears complaining that Ukraine’s progress against the Russian Federation has been slow. Ukraine has received nearly $200 billion in U.S. government largess to pay for the bankrupt government and war against the Kremlin. Biden promised to keep the war going indefinitely, saying that Zelensky is making progress to topple Putin’s Russia Federation. “A lot of people die every day—a lot. Just because no decision has been made yet,” Zaluzhny said. Whether Zelensky admits it or not, the U.S. has every right to expect progress because Biden’s blank check can’t go on forever. As the 2024 election heats up, Biden will be under increased pressure to show results or push the conflict to the peace table. Zelensky doesn’t like the pressure but he depends 100% on U.S. taxpayer cash to pay for his government and the war.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
