Ukraine russia

A guest on Russian state TV recently admitted he believes the Kremlin's effort in Ukraine has "failed completely," and there was no backup plan to fall on. Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, tweeted on Friday a clip of the video, providing translations. The video has been viewed more than 60,000 times as of Friday morning. Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, as part of a "special military operation." The operation quickly evolved into war, and after nearly a year, the fighting continues. Various places around Ukraine have faced the front lines of battle, and attention has shifted to the Bakhmut region as the Wagner Group , a Russian paramilitary organization, attempt to seize the city . Meanwhile, advancement on both sides has stalled during the winter months, but experts expect fighting to pick up again once spring nears. On a Russian state TV talk show, political analyst Viktor Olevich said Russia's attempt to quickly … [Read more...] about Russia state TV admits Ukraine war plan “failed completely”

The next phase of the Ukraine War, a new Russian offensive and a potential Ukrainian counteroffensive, seems all but inevitable for late winter or early spring. The logic of escalation is prevailing, the mutual belief that no peace deal is possible until the other side understands that it can’t win. The Ukrainian hope for how this escalation ends was sketched out by Mykhailo Podolyak, a key adviser to President Volodymyr Zelensky, in a recent interview with Bruno Macaes for The New Statesman. “Russia will embark on some minor offensive actions in a short period of time,” Macaes summarizes. “A lot of manpower will be lost. After that, it will face a series of significant defeats.” This will lead to Russian unraveling: Major cities will be lost, some kind of military collapse will follow, and then there will be “uncontrolled political transformation” within the Russian Federation itself. Podolyak doesn’t predict that all of this will happen this spring, suggesting that the timing … [Read more...] about The Costs of a Long War in Ukraine

Naftali Bennett, the Prime Minister of Israel towards the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year, says the West “blocked” a ceasefire he was helping to broker early in the war. Bennett, who was prime minister and then alternate prime minister in Israel during a confusing period of coalition politics prior to the return of Benjamin Netanyahu as head of government in December, said that “there was a good chance of reaching a ceasefire” before the Western powers “curbed” negotiations in a wide-ranging interview uploaded to YouTube. Israel is one of a number of states traditionally seen as being aligned with the West, along with the likes of India and Turkey , which have played little or no part in efforts to support Ukraine militarily or engage in the sanctions war with Russia, with Bennett explaining that while “the Americans expect… that we all rally for Ukraine” this would not necessarily have been in Israel’s interests. By way of example, Bennett … [Read more...] about Western Powers ‘Blocked’ Ceasefire Early in Ukraine War: Israeli Ex-PM

Ukraine’s defence minister Oleksiy Reznikov will be replaced by the chief of military intelligence ahead of an expected Russian offensive and following corruption scandals, a senior lawmaker said Sunday. “We are preparing decisions and negotiations that should strengthen our soldiers, give Ukraine more international support and more weapons," President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his evening address without elaborating. Zelensky said this week he wanted talks on Ukraine’s membership in the EU to begin this year, stepping up the fight against corruption. A senior lawmaker close to Zelensky said later Sunday that 56-year-old Reznikov, one of the best-known faces of the country’s war effort, would be replaced. “Kyrylo Budanov will head the defence ministry, which is absolutely logical in wartime," said lawmaker David Arakhamia, referring to the 37-year-old chief of the military intelligence. Holding the rank of major general, Budanov has headed the military intelligence since … [Read more...] about Ukraine Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov Loses Job Following Corruption Allegations

Russia began amassing troops along the Ukrainian border a little more than a year ago while simultaneously conducting military drills with neighboring ally Belarus. This time a year ago the Winter Olympics were being held in Beijing. A few days after the Olympics ended, Russia began its unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. The war will hit its one-year mark on February 24, and the amount of Russian losses keep mounting at a rapid rate. The Ukraine Defense Ministry stated Saturday that 720 Russian soldiers died the previous day, bringing the total to 130,590 dead Russian soldiers on the war's 346th day. This is an increase of more than 5,000 Russian deaths since last Saturday , and more than 10,500 over the last 14 days. Russian deaths could possibly hit 140,000 by the one-year mark of war this month, according to Ukraine's average of recent daily numbers. In addition Saturday, Russia lost three tanks, 11 more artillery vehicles, four drones and 13 more vehicle and fuel tanks the … [Read more...] about Russian death toll soars past 130,000 as war nears 1-year mark: Ukraine

The Treasury has signalled there is no new money for defence despite recognising the urgent need to rearm in the wake of Russia's war in Ukraine, defence sources have said. At the same time, the sources said a "refresh" of UK defence policy - that was meant to inform the spending plans of Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak - could be delayed until after the March budget because an initial draft failed to reflect sufficiently the transformed security environment in Europe, where a land war is raging. "It is not very joined up government," according to one source, who was speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. The comments came after Sky News last week revealed that a senior US general had told Defence Secretary Ben Wallace that the British Army is no longer regarded as a top level, or "tier one", fighting force following decades of cuts to its size and strength. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video … [Read more...] about Ammunition running out but ‘no new money’ for defence despite war in Ukraine, sources say

WASHINGTON - President Biden and former president Donald Trump may have each drawn a record number of votes in 2020, but at this early stage in the 2024 election cycle, Americans show little enthusiasm for a rematch between the two well-known yet unpopular leaders, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Neither Biden nor Trump generate broad excitement within their own party, and most Americans overall say they would feel dissatisfied or angry if either wins the general election. Biden, who has said he intends to seek reelection, has no current opposition for the Democratic nomination. Trump is likely to face at least several challengers in his bid to lead his party for a third consecutive election. Among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, the Post-ABC poll finds 58 percent say they would prefer someone other than Biden as their nominee in 2024 - almost double the 31 percent who support Biden. That is statistically unchanged since last September. Among … [Read more...] about Few Americans are excited about a Biden-Trump rematch, Post-ABC poll finds

A former Israeli prime minister who served briefly as a mediator at the start of Russia’s war with Ukraine says he drew a promise from the Russian president not to kill his Ukrainian counterpart. Naftali Bennett emerged as an unlikely intermediary in the war’s first weeks, becoming one of the few Western leaders to meet President Vladimir Putin during the war in a snap trip to Moscow last March. While Bennett’s mediation efforts appear to have done little to end the bloodshed that continues until today, his remarks, in an interview posted online late Saturday, shed light on the backroom diplomacy and urgent efforts that were underway to try to bring the conflict to a speedy conclusion in its early days. In the five-hour interview, which touched on numerous other subjects, Bennett says he asked Putin about whether he intended to kill Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy . “I asked ‘what’s with this? Are you planning to kill Zelenskyy?’ He said ‘I won’t kill … [Read more...] about Putin promised not to kill Zelenskyy, former Israeli prime minister says

WASHINGTON — Nearly four decades ago, Representative Joe Neguse’s parents fled Eritrea and came to the United States as refugees, eventually settling in Colorado to raise their son and daughter. Now Mr. Neguse, Democrat of Colorado and the first African-American to represent the state, will be an impeachment manager, presenting the case for President Trump’s removal from office before the Senate. “If Congress does not act,” he told colleagues on Wednesday on the House floor before the impeachment vote, “if we shrink from our constitutional responsibilities to defend our republic, it will undoubtedly undermine the vision of America as the last best hope of earth,” quoting Abraham Lincoln. In an interview after the House impeached Mr. Trump for the second time, Mr. Neguse evoked his parents as he spoke about “the need to secure those freedoms that have given so many so much.” “It’s only because of the incredible freedoms and opportunities we have that they were able to … [Read more...] about Joe Neguse: Impeachment Manager Was Early Advocate of Charging President

Here’s what you need to know: Schiff called on the Senate to demand witnesses and documents so far denied by the Trump administration. Managers accused Trump of using his power ‘to cheat’ in the election. Trump set a new Twitter record as he lashed out at House managers seeking his removal from office. Schumer ruled out witness bargain that would call both Bolton and Hunter Biden to testify. Bound to silence on the floor, Trump’s lawyers and allies stewed with no chance to respond until later in the week. The White House ceded a chance to try to swiftly dismiss the case. Republicans bristled at House managers for their aggressive tone during the procedural debate. Schiff called on the Senate to demand witnesses and documents so far denied by the Trump administration. After a day of outlining the substance of the case against President Trump , the lead House impeachment manager returned in the evening session to lobbying the Senate for testimony … [Read more...] about Day in Impeachment: Key Moments From the Managers’ Opening Arguments