Western press jumped for joy when Russia announced it was pulling back forces from the North of Ukraine in the Kharkiv region, touting the progress as proof that Kiev was finally making progress liberating Russian-controlled territory. Western media exaggerate the accomplishing, calling it a Ukrainian military victory, not a Russian redeployment of forces to the Donbas region. “They have left a huger amount of vehicles and ammunition. We couldn’t transfer or evacuate it all to our rear,” said an unnamed Ukrainian commander. “Everyone gets a tank. F.uck there is enough tanks for everyone. What a bonus,” sounding less like a military commander and more like a Kiev propagandist. Whatever the situation it Kharkiv, it’s doesn’t change the facts on the ground on Donbass or along the Black Sea coast where Russian controls all of Ukraine’s strategic ports.
Tempting as it is to listen to Western news, they can’t be trusted because they ignored over the last six months Ukraine’s 44-year-old President Volodymyr Zelensky staggering losses to the Russian Federation. Zelensky once call the Azovstal Steel plant Ukraine “300,” where 300 Spartans in 480 B.C. held off Xerxes’ might Persian army. When all of Ukraine’s “300” brave Ukrainian fighters surrendered to Kremlin forces May 17, there wasn’t a peep from Zelensky or anyone else. So, the pro-Western media takes its cues from Kiev, not from realities on the battlefield where Zelensky’s forces have been routed for the last six months. Kharkiv’s redeployment is no different that the Kiev redeployment in late February, where Putin decided to move the Russian army for its real mission in Donbas. Whatever the ebb-and-flow of the Ukraine War, Russia controls the entire Black Sea coast.
Ukraine’s forces are bound to make some progress at some point, when you consider all the advanced weapons given by the U.S. and Western alliance. But whatever the advanced weapons, Ukrainian army doesn’t have the skill—or experience—fighting wars of attrition like the Kremlin. “Russia is trying to maintain its status as the largest supplier of military equipment to the Ukrainian army, and even to improve its status, knowing that land-lease will soon come into effect. #UAarmy loves its trophy,” the tweet read from an unnamed commander. Sarcastic remarks usually come with certain reservations, knowing that Zelensky often makes facetious comments when it comes to the Russian military. Losing some 25% of Ukraine’s territory to the Russian Federation is nothing to laugh about for Zelensky. Any change on the battlefield is promoted as a great victory for the Kiev government.
Zelensky often references Putin retreating from Kiev early in the war as proof of Ukraine’s highly motivated and skilled army. Never does Zelensky admit defeat or acknowledge how much sovereign territory he’s lost to the Russian Federation. Only Russian retreats are mentioned as proof over the last six months that Russia has sustained staggering losses in personnel and equipment, leaving the Russian army near collapse. If you listen to Kiev’s intel, Putin should already be dead of terminal illness, something talked about in the news, until legitimate intel services finally said the stories were pure fabrication. So, when it comes to listening to Kiev, Washington, Brussels or London’s war propaganda, it reflects only great progress. No Western news outlets report on Zelensky’s losses over the last six months. Ukraine’s attempt to retake all its lost sovereign territory could take years.
Every press report talks about the great Ukrainian victory, watching Russian troops retreat from the Khakiv region, much like they did in the early days of the war. Whether the Ukrainian counteroffensive resulted in Russia’s change of tactics is anyone’s guess. Once Kiev can show it’s reclaimed Kherson and many other Ukrainian ports along the Black Sea coast, then it can start talking about real progress. All the talk today, especially using unnamed Ukrainian commanders, it’s not trustworthy, for anyone trying to weight out what’s really happening. Zelensky claims that since September the Ukrainian military has liberated 1,250 square miles of sovereign territory. Zelensky doesn’t say how many more squares miles of territory he needs to liberate to claim victory over the Russian Federation. Liberating small hamlets or towns in the northern Kharkiv region doesn’t show much of anything.
To show real progress against the Russian Federation, Zelensky must take back all the lost sovereign territory seized by Moscow over the last six months. “These days, the Russian army is showing its best—show it’s back,” Zelensky said, boasting about what looks like progress in the Kharkiv region. “And, in the end, it’s a good choice for them to run away. There is and will be no place for the occupiers in Ukraine,” Zelensky, said know that Moscow controls the entire Black Sea coast and all Ukraine’s strategic ports. Zelensky never admits defeat but like to boast to the world about great progress in areas not particularly strategic for the Ukrainian army. Unless Zelensky can start taking back lost territory along the Black Sea coast, all the pyhrric victories don’t amount to much real progress. President Joe Biden, 79, wants to see more progress before he agrees to a ceasefire and peace talks.
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.
