Do Ukrainians Really Want to Win? Clinton, Putin and the United States at the End of the War, Addressing Putin’s Implications

“I also think no one is asking for a blank check,” Clinton added. I think the Ukrainians are a good investment for the United States. They are not asking us to be there to fight their war. They’re fighting it themselves. They want us and our allies to win, not only to defend ourselves, but to actually do so.

The speech “connected the struggle of Ukrainian people to our own revolution, to our own feelings that we want to be warm in our homes to celebrate Christmas and to get us to think about all the families in Ukraine that will be huddled in the cold and to know that they are on the front lines of freedom right now,” Clinton said on CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360” Wednesday.

“I hope that they will send more than one,” she added. She noted there’s “been some reluctance in the past” by the US and NATO to provide advanced equipment, but added “We’ve seen with our own eyes how effective Ukrainian military is.”

Clinton, who previously met Russian President Vladimir Putin as US secretary of state, said the leader was “probably impossible to actually predict,” as the war turns in Ukraine’s favor and his popularity fades at home.

“I think around now, what [Putin] is considering is how to throw more bodies, and that’s what they will be – bodies of Russian conscripts – into the fight in Ukraine,” Clinton said.

The Institute for the Study of War thinks that the talks with the West have been focused on rather than with Ukraine, even though Putin accuses the Ukranian people of being a pawn in the West.

“There is just one thing left to do: to fulfill them before it’s too late. Otherwise the Russian army will take matters into its own hands,” Lavrov said. He referred to the Ukraine as a puppet of the US in regards to the duration of the conflict.

There is little to no sign that negotiations can bring an end to the war because of the successes of the military, NATO stance, and the desire by Kyiv to regain control of its pre-2014 borders.

While seemingly indicating a willingness to negotiate on Sunday, the Russian leader continued to lie about his country’s intentions, stating that it is Moscow who is fighting a special military operation in eastern Ukraine.

As has often been the case throughout the conflict, the vaguely conciliatory tone from Putin was quickly contradicted by a heavy-handed message from one of his key officials.

The economic adviser to President Zelensky told CNN that Putin was likely buying time in the conflict.

“The blitzkrieg has gone terribly wrong for them and they know that, so they need more time to regroup and rebuild their troops,” Rodnyansky said, adding that it was also Kremlin’s strategy to dissuade the world from sending more military aid to Ukraine. “We must not fall into that trap.”

Through the first ten months of war, NATO has stayed largely united in supporting Ukraine’s resistance, with Western nations dispatching billions of dollars worth of weapons and other aid to Kyiv.

To accept those terms, Putin would have to go down a path that the Kremlin wouldn’t approve of. And Zelensky has not entertained the possibility of giving up any Ukrainian land, nor dropping his efforts to join NATO and the European Union, and while Western support remains strong there is little pressure for him to do so.

Since the end of the summer, the ground war in eastern and southern Ukrainians has been defined by a series of decisive counter- attacks that have pushed back Russian forces and brought about Western optimism that the war can be won.

Zelensky’s War with the United Nations: A First Look at the Prospects for a Possible Resolution of the Middle East–Israel War

But Zelensky and his officials have said throughout that they will continue to sound out the possibility of negotiations, without raising any hopes that they would achieve a truce.

Kuleba told the AP on Monday that every war ends in a diplomatic way. “Every war ends as a result of the actions taken on the battlefield and at the negotiating table.”

The Foreign Minister said that the UN would be a good broker for those talks. “The United Nations could be the best venue for holding this summit, because this is not about making a favor to a certain country,” he said. This is about bringing everyone on board.

The steps include a path to nuclear safety, food security and a final peace treaty with Moscow. He also urged G20 leaders to use all their power to “make Russia abandon nuclear threats” and implement a price cap on energy imported from Moscow.

A decisive swing on the battlefield in the New Year could force a change in the calculus, but both sides are dug into what will many observers believe could become a long and grinding conflict.

And Zelensky’s visit to the US – his first overseas trip in ten months – shows his intention to keep his allies focused on the conflict and united in their support.

“For me, as president, a just peace is no compromises as to the sovereignty, freedom and territorial integrity of our country, the payback for all the damages inflicted by Russian aggression,” Zelensky said during his joint press conference with Biden at the White House.

“It can succeed in the battlefield with our help, and the help of our European allies and others, so that if and when President Zelensky is ready to talk to the Russians, he will be able to succeed as well, because he will have won on the battlefield.”

At the time, Putin insisted his forces were embarking on a “special military operation” — a term suggesting a limited campaign that would be over in a matter of weeks.

War against Ukraine Has Left Russia Isolated and Strouggling with More Tortumult Ahedriah: Why Russia has Left Its Own Country

The invasion has grown into the biggest land war in Europe since World War II, forcing millions of Ukrainians from their homes, decimating the Ukrainian economy and killing thousands of civilians.

The war disrupted the post Soviet period in which the country pursued democratic reforms, and at least financial integration and dialogue with the West.

Draconian laws passed since February have outlawed criticism of the military or leadership. The leading independent monitoring group says that 20% of the people who have been imprisoned for demonstrating against the war are women.

Lengthy prison sentences have been meted out to high profile opposition voices on charges of “discrediting” the Russian army by questioning its conduct or strategy.

The repressions extend elsewhere: organizations and individuals are added weekly to a growing list of “foreign agents” and “non-desirable” organizations intended to damage their reputation among the Russian public.

Even Russia’s most revered human rights group, 2022’s Nobel Prize co-recipient Memorial, was forced to stop its activities over alleged violations of the foreign agents law.

The state has also vastly expanded Russia’s already restrictive anti-LGBT laws, arguing the war in Ukraine reflects a wider attack on “traditional values.”

For now, repressions remain targeted. Some of the new laws are not enforced. But few doubt the measures are intended to crush wider dissent — should the moment arise.

Leading independent media outlets and a handful of vibrant, online investigative startups were forced to shut down or relocate abroad when confronted with new “fake news” laws that criminalized contradicting the official government line.

There are restrictions on internet users too. In March, American social media giants were banned. Since the beginning of the conflict, there have been over 100,000 blocked websites.

Technical workarounds such as VPNs and Telegram still offer access to Russians seeking independent sources of information. But state media propaganda now blankets the airwaves favored by older Russians, with angry TV talk shows spreading conspiracies.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2022/12/31/1145981036/war-against-ukraine-has-left-russia-isolated-and-struggling-with-more-tumult-ahe

Russia’s First Day of World War II. President Putin’s Exodus and the Ruin of the Russian Embassy in Ukraine’s Metropolis

Thousands of perceived government opponents, including activists and journalists, left in the first few days of the war because of worries of persecution.

Hundreds of thousands of Russian men were forced to flee to several border states, including Georgia, because of Putin’s order to mobilize 300,000 additional troops in September.

Putin argued it was good riddance, part of a “self-cleansing” of Russian society from traitors and spies. Russian officials think they should remove people who left the country with their passports. There are questions about Russia’s ability to thrive without some of its best and brightest.

Meanwhile, some countries that have absorbed the Russian exodus predict their economies will grow, even as the swelling presence of Russians remains a sensitive issue to former Soviet republics in particular.

Russia’s banking and trading markets were shaky in the initial days of the invasion. Hundreds of global corporate brands, such as McDonald’s and ExxonMobil, reduced, suspended or closed their Russian operations entirely.

The West is trying to limit the amount countries pay for Russian oil and restrict the amount of oil they import from Russia. The efforts are already cutting into profits.

Ultimately, President Putin is betting that when it comes to sanctions, Europe will blink first — pulling back on its support to Ukraine as Europeans grow angry over soaring energy costs at home. He decided to stop oil exports to countries that don’t abide by the price cap, a move that is likely to make the pain worse in Europe.

The economic damage has ended Putin’s reputation for providing stability, which was important in his support among Russians who recalled the chaotic times after the collapse of the USSR.

There is no change in the government’s tone when it comes to Russia’s military campaign. Russia’s Defense Ministry provides daily briefings recounting endless successes on the ground. Putin, too, repeatedly assures that everything is “going according to plan.”

With no immediate Russian victory in sight, the sheer length of the war suggests Russia underestimated Ukrainians’ willingness to resist.

Russian troops have proven unable to conquer Ukraine’s capital Kyiv or the second city of Kharkiv. The only major city that was seized by Russia was Kherson. Russian forces have been shelling the city.

Russia’s illegal annexation of four territories of Ukraine following unrecognized referendums in September has only underscored Moscow’s problems: it hasn’t been able to establish full control over the lands it now claims as its own.

The true number of Russian losses – officially at just under 6,000 men – remains a highly taboo subject at home. Western estimates put the figure much higher.

Russia’s ability to defend its strategic infrastructure has been put into question by a series of explosions along a key bridge.

Russia’s invasion has backfired in its main aim: NATO looks likely to expand towards Russia’s borders with long-neutral states like Finland and Sweden joining.

It would not have been possible in Soviet times for Central Asian allies to criticize Russia for its actions out of concern for their own sovereignty. There is not full-throated support for Russia’s military campaign by India and China, who have purchased discounted Russian oil.

The Kremlin’s Delays in the State of the Nation and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine After a Decade of War

A state of the nation address, originally scheduled for April, was repeatedly delayed and won’t happen until next year. Putin’s annual “direct line” — a media event in which Putin fields questions from ordinary Russians — was canceled outright.

The annual “big press conference” in December, in which the Russian leader is allowed to handle questions from mostly pro-Kremlin media, was tabled until at least 2023.

The Kremlin has given no reason for the delays. After a decade of war and no sign of victory, many think the Russian leader has run out of good news to share.

President Joe Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine sparked anger and embarrassment among many of Russia’s hawkish military pundits on Monday, increasing pressure on Vladimir Putin as the Russian leader prepares to justify his stuttering invasion in a national address.

Biden is in Kyiv. Sergey Mardan, Russian journalist, wrote on his Telegram channel about the humiliation of Russia. “Tales of miraculous hypersonics may be left for children. Just like spells about the holy war we are waging with the entire West.”

Russian army veteran and former Federal Security Service (FSB) officer Igor Girkin meanwhile suggested that Biden could have visited the frontlines in eastern Ukraine and escaped unharmed.

Even if the grandfather is brought to Bakhmut, nothing will happen to him.

There is a group of military experts who have hundreds of thousands of followers and provide analysis of the conflict for large swaths of the Russian population, but who do not agree with the approach that Putin’s generals have taken on the battlefield.

The deputy head of the Security Council is often known for making “bellicose” comments to try and shore up his nationalist credentials.

Participants of what Russia refers to as its “special military operation” will be in attendance but foreign guests or representatives will not be invited, the Kremlin’s spokesperson told reporters Monday.

A year after starting the biggest land war in Europe since World War II, Putin is expected to launch a new offensive within the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, Mr. Wang had a meeting with Mr. Patrushev. The Chinese government said the two had differing views on Ukraine.

The U.S. warned that China might seek to support Russia with weapons. But there was no mention of Ukraine or weapons in the seven-minute, televised portion of Mr. Wang’s meeting with Mr. Putin on Wednesday, where Mr. Patrushev and Sergey V. Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, joined Mr. Putin around a white, oval table.

The Ukraine war is approaching its first anniversary and as Mr. Putin tries to shore up alliances, the early stages of Russia’s offensive to take up territory seem to be sputtering. As Mr. Putin and Mr. Wang met, President Biden was gathering with NATO members from the alliance’s eastern flank in Warsaw in a display of unity.

During his recent tour of Western Europe, Mr. Wang persuaded European leaders that Beijing is not supporting Mr. Putin in his war with Russia.

Mr. Putin predicted that the trade volume between Russia and China could reach as much as $200 billion this year, compared with $188 billion last year.

“Everything is moving forward, developing, we are reaching new frontiers,” Mr. Putin said. Above all, we are talking about economic issues.

“On the Ukraine issue, China has always stood on the side of peace and dialogue, and has always insisted on pressing for peace and negotiation,” Mr. Wang said in a meeting with Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, on Saturday, when they were both in Munich for an annual security conference, according to China’s official summary of the meeting.

The Indian economy as the most populous country in the next few years: Expected success in the G-20 summit of the world’s largest economy

As president of the Group of 20 (G-20) major economies, India wants to steer the agenda for Wednesday’s summit start toward priorities for the Global South: climate change, food security, inflation and debt relief.

As developing countries try to cope with rising global fuel and food prices, they are seeking loans from the International Monetary Fund.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and their Chinese counterpart, Qin Gang, are all expected to attend the two-day meeting in New Delhi.

Last July, Lavrov walked out of a previous G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Indonesia, after Western delegates denounced the Ukraine war. Last April, at another G-20 meeting, U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and representatives from other Western nations walked out when Russia spoke.

Last year, India’s economy became the fifth-largest in the world, surpassing that of its former colonial occupier, Britain. At some point in time, India is expected to surpass China as the world’s most populous country. Some say it has already happened. Its growth this year is expected to be the strongest among the world’s big economies.

The Raisina Dialogue: An Indian think tank approach to the Group of 20 economies’ foreign ministers’ meeting based on the India’s Modi-Borrows slogan

Indonesia was the G-20 presidency last year and Brazil will hold it in the future. Modi’s government wants to bill it as a personal achievement by him, since he runs for reelection next year.

Billboards with Modi’s face and India’s G-20 logo — which is very similar to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party’s own logo — have gone up across India. In recent weeks, highway flyovers in Mumbai and New Delhi have been festooned with flower boxes. Lampposts got a fresh coat of paint.

Besides its focus on economic issues most relevant to developing countries, another reason India wants to steer the agenda away from Ukraine is that it has maintained ties with Russia despite the war. Modi has called for a cease-fire but has so far refused to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion. India buys oil and weapons from Moscow.

But at a similar G-20 finance ministers’ meeting last week, Yellen accused Russian officials in attendance of being “complicit” in atrocities in Ukraine and in the resulting damage to the global economy.

The meeting ended without a final joint statement being issued. Analysts doubt if this week’s foreign ministers’ meeting will end differently.

It has become very rare for international conferences to invite Russian officials since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. So, when an Indian think tank welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to speak, it made for some awkward exchanges.

This week, India’s Observer Research Foundation gathered academics, business executives and diplomats from the G-20, or Group of 20 economies, for a conference in Delhi known as the Raisina Dialogue.

Lavrov criticized the West for its actions on Iraq and Afghanistan in the aftermath of the November 11 attacks in Bagnarsky’s hometown

The crowd applauded when Lavrov said that the west had a double standard in condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine while it invaded Iraq and Afghanistan. The reaction was not as positive.

“Of course it influenced the policy of Russia, including the energy policy. And the blunt way to describe what is the change, what changed, we would not anymore rely on any partners in the West,” Lavrov added.