The War Between Ukraine and the People: A Tale of Two Shocks, Two Faces, Three Faces — One at a Crossroads

After Russia pulled out of the Dnipro River’s west bank in the Kherson region, there were scenes of joy and jubilation.

KRAMATORSK, Ukraine — Ukrainian forces on Sunday hunted Russian stragglers in the key city of Lyman, which was taken back from Russia after its demoralized troops, according to a major Russian newspaper, fled with “empty eyes,” and despite Moscow’s baseless claim it had annexed the region surrounding the city.

But a curious shift is underway in Russia’s tightly controlled information space. Ukraine’s military has been making dramatic advances in a counteroffensive, making it increasingly difficult to conceal the Russian military’s losses. Putin sent a message to the general population that their leader was going all inUkraine, and that sacrifice have been ordered, after he declared a partial military mobilization.

Ukrainian forces advanced through much of the Kherson region Friday, apparently encountering little or no resistance. Social media video from towns and villages throughout the region’s west bank shows troops being greeted by civilians.

The leader of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov, blamed the retreat, without evidence, on one general being “covered up for by higher-up leaders in the General Staff.” He called for “more drastic measures.”

There is an emergency situation at an airfield in Sevastopol, the city on the Russian annexed Crimean Peninsula. Smoke and loud bangs could be heard from a distance by beachgoers in the resort. There is reports that a plane went off the runway and caught fire at Belbek airfield.

Russia intensified its air attacks against Ukraine over the course of a year, by firing cruise missiles and bomb-laden drones at several cities. All 25 of Ukraine’s administrative regions spent much of the day Saturday under air raid warnings.

And the heroic figure at the center of this war is none other than Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, a former actor and comedian who rose to prominence playing a character on a popular TV show who accidentally becomes the Ukrainian president. Zelensky went from success in show to politics by founding the party named after his show, “Servant of the People.”

The governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said 24 civilians were killed in an attack this week on a convoy trying to flee the Kupiansk district. He said it was “ruelty that can’t be justified.” He said 13 children and a pregnant woman were among the dead.

Photographs of the attacked convoy were posted by the Security Service of Ukraine. At least one truck showed signs of having been blew up, with charred corpses in its bed. Another vehicle at the front of the convoy also had been ablaze. Bodies lay on the side of the road or still inside vehicles, which appeared pockmarked with bullet holes.

The Ukrainian Air Force spokesman said that the enemy wanted to greatly diminish the attention of air defense. Ukraine’s top military chief, Valeriy Zaluzhny, later said that 60 of the missiles were downed by the country’s air defense forces.

In other developments, in an apparent attempt to secure Moscow’s hold on the newly annexed territory, Russian forces seized the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ihor Murashov, on Friday, according to the Ukrainian state nuclear company Energoatom.

Russia did not publicly comment on the report. The International Atomic Energy Agency said Russia told it that “the director-general of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant was temporarily detained to answer questions.”

“Today the enemy carried out another massive attack on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine,” Halushchenko said in a post on Facebook. “Unfortunately, there is some damage to generation facilities and power grids.”

The Ukraine victory tells dictators that the old days of being able to invade and swallow neighbors are not what they used to be. Everyone would be affected byUkraine’s loss. This isn’t just their war.

President Zelensky is expected to visit the White House on Monday, and during his visit the US is expected to announce an additional 1.7 billion dollars in security assistance for Ukraine. The aid is expected to get a boost due to the provision of the Patriot missile defense systems.

Putin’s problems have only deepened in recent days with the surging Ukrainian counteroffensive that has seized key pockets of Russian-controlled territory, such as the transportation hub city of Lyman.

Russian forces in Lyman had desertion, poor planning and the delayed arrival of reserves according to an article published Sunday in the Russian newspaper Komsomolskaya Pravda.

When Aleksandr was captured, he was dressed without the traditional red or white shirt of a Russian or Ukrainian ally but with blue or yellow for the country of his choice. To keep him warm, the Ukrainian soldiers gave him a Russian parka they had lying around in their trench.

“He came out of the forest and went to our positions,” said Serhiy, one of the Ukrainian soldiers who had found Aleksandr, recounting the capture to a pair of reporters from The New York Times visiting their position near the front line.

The Institute for the Study of War noted that Russian battlefield setbacks, coupled with the uneasiness in Russia’s society over Mobilization, were changing the Russian information space. That has included robust criticism not just from hawkish men of power such as Kadyrov, but from pro-war milbloggers who have often provided a granular picture of battlefield realities for Russian forces.

Editor’s Note: Peter Bergen is CNN’s national security analyst, a vice president at New America, and a professor of practice at Arizona State University. Bergen is the author of “The Cost of Chaos: The Trump Administration and the World.” The views expressed in this commentary are his own. View more opinion on CNN.

Vladimir Putin’s War with the Soviet Union: A Reflection on the First Seven Years of the Russo-Japanese War

Russia doesn’t bode well for their plans on the battlefield. The first thing Mr. Putin wants to do is maintain control of the occupied areas, and the second thing he wants to do is freeze the front line. That would enable a more sustainable defense, as well as allow for the military to change and regenerated their forces. Ukraine and its supporters, of course, have made it clear that neither of these conditions is acceptable. And as the Ukrainians’ continued headway in the south suggests, it’s far from clear that Russia will be able to attain either aim.

With even his allies expressing concern and hundreds of thousands of people fleeing partial mobilize, an increasingly isolated Putin has once again taken to making boring speeches offering distorted views of history.

The war in Ukraine, he says, has always been part of Russia, even though it became independent of the Soviet Union over three decades ago.

When the Soviets invaded Afghanistan in December 1979, they planned to install a puppet government and get out of the country as soon as it was feasible, as explained in a recent, authoritative book about the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, “Afghan Crucible” by historian Elisabeth Leake.

The US initially delayed increasing its support for the Afghan resistance because of fear of a larger conflict with the Soviet Union. It took until 1986 for the CIA to arm the Afghans with highly effective anti-aircraft Stinger missiles, which ended the Soviets’ total air superiority, eventually forcing them to withdraw from Afghanistan three years later.

But the US put those fears to rest relatively quickly, and American-supplied anti-tank Javelin missiles and High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS), GPS-guided missiles, have helped the Ukrainians to push back against the Russians.

The fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 was sparked by the withdrawal of soviet forces from Afghanistan two years earlier.

Looking further back into the history books, he must also know that the Russian loss in the Russo-Japanese war in 1905 weakened the Romanov monarchy. Czar Nicholas II’s feckless leadership during the First World War then precipitated the Russian Revolution in 1917. Subsequently, much of the Romanov family was killed by a Bolshevik firing squad.

More than seven months into the war, the “genius” myth has unraveled. During the past two weeks, at least 200,000 Russian men have voted with their feet to flee Putin’s partial mobilization order. They understand that the war is a huge loss for Russia.

Putin is a tragic illustration of how delusions and illusions of one individual can be allowed to shape events without any challenge. autocrats put their cronies in key positions, control the media and are able to order their subordinates to follow foolish orders.

In 1917 and 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian empire may have had their third dissolution due to Putin’s gamble.

The head of the defense committee in Russia’s State Duma demanded that officials stop lying and level with the Russians, in an interview with Russian anti-government activist Vladimir Solovyov.

Kartapolov complained that the Ministry of Defense was evading the truth about incidents such as Ukrainian cross-border strikes in Russian regions neighboring Ukraine.

Valuyki is in Russia’s Belgorod region, near the border with Ukraine. Kyiv has generally adopted a neither-confirm-nor-deny stance when it comes to striking Russian targets across the border.

“There is no need to somehow cast a shadow over the entire Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation because of some, I do not say traitors, but incompetent commanders, who did not bother, and were not accountable, for the processes and gaps that exist today,” Stremousov said. “Indeed, many say that the Minister of Defense [Sergei Shoigu], who allowed this situation to happen, could, as an officer, shoot himself. The word officer is not well-known to many.

Kadyrov is a lot more willing to blame Russian commanders now that they have retreated from the Ukrainian city of Lyman.

The Russian information space has deviated from the Kremlin’s preferred narrative that things are generally under control, according to a recent analysis.

Kadyrov – who recently announced that he had been promoted by Putin to the rank of colonel general – has been one of the most prominent voices arguing for the draconian methods of the past. He stated in another Telegram post that if he had his way he’d give Russia extraordinary wartime powers.

“Yes, if it were my will, I would declare martial law throughout the country and use any weapon, because today we are at war with the whole NATO bloc,” Kadyrov said in a post that also seemed to echo Putin’s not-so-subtle threats that Russia might contemplate the use of nuclear weapons.

A fresh barrage of Russian missile attacks across Ukraine on Friday morning put the entire country under air-raid alarm and sent people scrambling for shelter as explosions sounded overhead, with strikes hitting critical infrastructure and knocking out power.

A four star hotel was hit by missiles in the entertainment district, says a top emergency adviser to the Ukrainian presidential administration. Ukraine’s power grid operator said it preventatively shut off electricity to several areas of the capital region, but did not report any damage to their infrastructure.

In a video filmed outside his office Monday, a defiant President Volodymyr Zelensky said it appeared many of the 100 or so missile strikes across Ukraine were aimed at the country’s energy infrastructure. At least 11 important infrastructure facilities in eight regions and the capital have been damaged; some provinces are without power, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said.

“It’s a tough morning when you’re dealing with terrorists,” said Zelenskyy in the video, which recalled the selfie he took the night Russia invaded in February. “They’re choosing targets to harm as many people as possible.”

On the damage caused by Friday’s blast of Kharkiv city’s bus stop in northern Ukraine, and the “nearest” attack of the Ukranian energy ministry

Some parts of the Ukrainian railway system, which were out of power, were being replaced with diesel locomotives. Ukraine’s energy minister, Herman Halushchenko, said that nine power-generating facitilites were damaged in Friday’s attacks, and warned of more emergency blackouts.

Oleh Syniehubov, head of the regional military administration, said 10 missiles hit targets in the north, damaging energy facilities and a hospital. Kharkiv city had been without power for much of the day. The mayor of Kharkiv said that there was a huge amount of damage to the city’s infrastructure.

The director of the transport department for the Dnipro city council stood by the accident as he said “Lots of public transport was operating in the city.” He said the bus driver and four other people were in the hospital with serious injuries.

“It’s not easy to find logic to their work because transportation is only for civilian purposes,” Makovtsev said.

There were once windows on his first floor balcony, which was next to the bus stop. Chunks of glass were on the ground. He went to make breakfast a short time after the blast, despite having been watering the plants on his balcony.

He said the explosion blew open all of his cabinets and nearly knocked him to the ground. “I would have been on the balcony, full of glass, had I not been five minutes before.”

The day after the big bang ended: Ukrainian attacks on the Kerch Straight bridge in Kiev (July 21, 2016), as reported by a Canadian business analyst

“We warned Zelenskyy that Russia hadn’t really started yet,” wrote Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a loyalist to Putin who repeatedly has attacked Russia’s Defense Ministry for incompetence in carrying out the military campaign.

In the summer Michael Bociurkiw moved from Canada toUkraine as a global affairs analyst. He is a Senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former spokesman for Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Even amid irrepressible jubilation here in Ukraine in the aftermath of a massive explosion that hit the hugely strategic and symbolic Kerch Straight bridge over the weekend, fears of retaliation by the Kremlin were never far away.

The mayor of the Russian-appointed city said on Telegram that the Ukrainians had attacked the center of the city at 7 am.

As of midday local time, the area around my office in Odesa remained eerily quiet in between air raid sirens, with reports that three missiles and five kamikaze drones were shot down. At this time of the day, nearby restaurants would bustle with customers and chatter of upcoming weddings and parties.

Residents bundled in winter coats, hats and scarves gathered in Kyiv’s underground stations as the sirens wailed. Huddled on escalators, their faces were lit by their phones as they scrolled through updates.

Millions of people will be spending most of the day in bomb shelters, while businesses have been told to shift work online as much as possible.

It was just as many regions ofUkraine were starting to roar back to life, and with so many asylum seekers returning home, the attacks risk causing another blow to business confidence.

The Populistan Elevated Bridge and the Ruling of the Cold War: The United States and Ukraine’s Commitment on a Cold War

Hardwiring newly claimed territory with expensive, record-breaking infrastructure projects seems to be a penchant of dictators. The longest bridge in the European Union was opened by Putin. The world’s longest sea crossing bridge was connected to the former Portuguese and British territories of Macau and Hong Kong by that same year. The bridge has been open for about two years.

The explosion lit up social media channels in a very funny way. They used text messages to share their jubilation.

It was also an act of selfish desperation: facing increasing criticism at home, including on state-controlled television, has placed Putin on unusually thin ice.

According to a newspaper report, the leader of Ukraine’s military intelligence told them that they expect Ukrainian forces to move into the peninsula by the summer.

What is crucially important now is for Washington and other allies to use urgent telephone diplomacy to urge China and India – which presumably still have some leverage over Putin – to resist the urge to use even more deadly weapons.

It is necessary for high tech defense systems to protect the energy infrastructure around the country. The need to protect heating systems is urgent with winter just around the corner.

Turkey and the Gulf states that receive a lot of Russian tourists need to be pressured to sign onto a plan to further ostracize Russia by trade and travel restrictions.

Anything short of these measures will only allow Putin to continue his senseless violence and further exacerbate a humanitarian crisis that will reverberate throughout Europe. A weak reaction will be taken as a sign in the Kremlin that it can continue to weaponize energy, migration and food.

That is not to say mobilized forces won’t be used. If used in support roles, like drivers or refuelers, they might ease the burden on the remaining parts of Russia’s exhausted professional army. They could also cordon areas around the line of contact and put man points at the rear. They are not likely to become a capable fighting force. Already there are signs of discipline problems among mobilized soldiers in Russian garrisons.

The United States and Ukraine have agreed that Kyiv will not strike targets in Russia with American-provided weaponry. The Biden administration has vowed to avoid American involvement that could escalate to direct confrontation with Russia. American officials clarified that they would not object to Ukraine attacking itself with its own weaponry.

U.K. drone attacks on Kiev’s railway network during a demonstration of the “violation of the fundamental rights of the free world”

The office of the man says several buildings have been damaged. He added that rescuers pulled 18 people from the rubble of one building and are looking for two more. Emergency services close a large part of the city’s central streets.

Anton Gerashcenko, a spokesman for Ukraine’s Internal Ministry, reported attacks on infrastructure near the city’s main rail station, but lines were operating as normal midmorning Monday.

Zelensky had to convince Americans that the fight against Russia was for the values of the free world.

Zelenskyy’s chief-of-staff called on the west to give Ukraine more air defense systems. He said there was no time for slow actions.

Yermak said the drones were Shahed models, known for crashing into the targets with explosive payloads. The number of drones ordered from Iran by Russia overwhelmed the Ukrainian air defense systems. As of 10am, Ukraine’s Air Force claims to have shot down 11 drones.

The photo of “Geran-2,” the Russian designation for the Iranian drones, was removed from his website after commenters criticized him for approving a Russian strike.

Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian national anthem: A celebration of freedom for the Ukrainian people and for the defence of their independence, as observed in Kherson

European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to meet today in Luxembourg. Before the meeting, Josep Borrell, the EU’s top diplomat, told reporters that the bloc would look into “concrete evidence” of Iran’s involvement in Ukraine.

Elated people, who had survived months of Russian occupation in Kherson, descended on the town’s central square to hug newly arrived Ukrainian soldiers and snap selfies.

As the blue-and-gold Ukrainian flag fluttered on a breezy day, Zelenskyy, his entourage, and hundreds of Kherson residents stood at attention as Ukraine’s national anthem played.

He has posted several videos online, and they’ve inspired a fierce defiance among the Ukrainian people. In one video titled “We are here. We are in a foreign country. We are protecting Ukraine,” Zelensky can be seen surrounded by his top advisers. “We are all here. Our army are here. He says that citizens and society are here. We are defending our independence and it will stay that way.

The Dnieper River, the East Bank of Ukraine, as seen by Russian troops on social media and in the media – the case of Mykolaiv

“In the Kherson direction, the move of Russian military units to the left bank of the Dnieper River was completed at 0500 [Moscow time] this morning,” the ministry said on its official Telegram channel, using the Russian spelling for the river.

The Ukrainian army had held its advance back for a number of days, and that the military equipment on the right bank of the Dnieper was being hit by fire.

The east bank of Ukraine has not been hit by fire on Friday, but a missile attack on the city of Mykolaiv, close to the border, killed seven people early Friday.

Earlier Friday, the Ukrainian military’s southern operational command said Russian forces had been “urgently loading into boats that seem suitable for crossing and trying to escape” across the river.

It was unclear whether all Russian troops had left Kherson and the wider region; Khlan said the city was “almost under the control of the Armed Forces of Ukraine” but warned that some Russian troops may have remained behind in civilian clothing.

Images and video on social media showed that the bridge had been destroyed.

Alexander Kots, a reporter for the Russian pro-government tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda embedded with Russian forces, posted a video on his Telegram channel standing on the crossing, showing the entire center section of the bridge destroyed. Behind me are the two collapsed spans of the bridge. “They were likely blown up during the withdrawal of the Russian group of forces from the right bank to the left,” or western bank to eastern bank.

A video circulating on social media on Friday, geolocated and authenticated by CNN, showed Ukrainian forces being greeted by residents on the main highway in Tyahinka. There are two bridges that go across the Dnieper river at Nova Kakhovka, as well as a hydroelectric dam just 14 miles away.

The residents of the town of Bilozerka, on the outskirts of Kherson city, raised a Ukrainian flag and destroyed Russian propaganda billboards, according to videos on social media tagged by CNN.

People greeting Ukrainian troops in the region were in sharp contrast to the rhetoric of Russian-appointed officials in Kherson six weeks earlier, in which they claimed that 75% of voters supported integration into the Russian Federation. Kherson was one of four Ukrainian regions illegally annexed by Russia in September.

Kyiv officials had warned that retreating Russian troops could turn the regional capital of Kherson into a “city of death” on the way out, and an official in southern Ukraine warned residents Friday to be wary of quickly returning to recently liberated territory due to the threat of mines.

There are a lot of mines in the freed territories, according to Vitaliy Kim, head of Mykolaiv region military administration. You should not go there for no reason. There are casualties.”

“The Russian fight is coming”: Vladimir Zelensky during the Friday meeting of the Kremlov-Korelov-Szczechenko government

“This is a subject of the Russian Federation,” Dmitry Peskov said during a regular briefing with journalists. “It has been legally fixed and defined. No changes can be made here.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Friday was “a historic day” for Ukraine after Russia announced its withdrawal from the west bank of the Kherson region.

He said it was “important for the American people, and for the world, to hear directly from you, Mr. President, about Ukraine’s fight, and the need to continue to stand together through 2023.”

He came to tell Americans “Thank you.” And he said it over and over. “I hope my words of respect and gratitude resonate in each American heart.” But that was only the first part of his message to the country that has supplied the weapons that have helped enable Ukraine to push back against a much bigger enemy: Zelensky came to explain why this is not just Ukraine’s fight.

He said stabilization measures would follow due to the threat of mines. A lot of mines and explosives were left by the occupiers. We will be clearing them,” he said.

Police, rescuers and power engineers are following our defenders. Medicine, communications, social services are returning. … He said that life is returning.

The War between Russia and Ukraine in the Dnipro River and the City of Douma: Indirect Observations of the Second Russian Army Reaction on Kherson

Officials warned displaced people to not return to their homes in the newly retaken areas of Kherson because it was too dangerous.

The head of the military administration of the Mykolaiv region visited the small city of Snihurivka to discuss the restoration of life in the liberated territories.

“Despite the fact that the relevant services have already started (removing mines in) the liberated territories, I warn local residents to be careful,” Kim added.

The Russian forces occupied Kherson and Zelenskyy said that Ukrainian investigators had documented more than 400 cases of suspected war crimes.

But Ukraine says it’s documented thousands of cases nationwide, and a United Nations report in September found evidence the Russians killed, tortured and raped Ukrainian civilians.

The city’s buildings remain intact because the Russians took Kherson without a fight at the beginning of the war.

The city has no heat or power, and is in terrible need of food, water and medicine. The city of Douma had close to 300,000 people before the war andUkrainian military and government officials are trying to restore a sense of normality.

Asked about the latest developments in Kherson, Putin’s spokesman Dmitri Peskov said, “We’ll refrain from commenting. You know this territory belongs to the Russian Federation.”

The Russian forces retreated from the southern town of Kherson after Ukrainian forces battled them across the broad expanse of the Dnipro River.

The Dnipro has become the new front line in southern Ukraine, and officials there warned of continued danger from fighting in regions that have already endured months of Russian occupation.

In the afternoon, there were fears that the Russian Army would retaliate for the loss of the city with a bombardment from its new positions on the eastern bank.

Mortar shells struck near the bridge, sending up puffs of smoke. Near the river there were thunderous booms from incoming rounds. It was not immediately possible to assess what had been hit.

On Russian forces’ role in the fight against the Ukrainians in Novoraysk, south of Kherson city, during the 2007 Ukrainian Revolution

The mines are dangerous. Four people, including an 11-year-old, were killed when a family driving in the village of Novoraysk, outside the city, ran over a mine, Mr. Yanushevich said. A few railway workers were injured when trying to restore service after lines were damaged. At least four more children were injured by mines in the region, the Ukrainian officials said in statements.

Zelensky has spent much of the year appealing to nations for support during the 10-month invasion and emerged as the international personification of Ukrainian resistance. He has remained inside his country for the duration of the war, a reflection both of his desire to rally alongside his besieged country and the precarious security situation he would face outside Ukraine.

Mr. Zelensky was in the city’s main square on Monday to deliver a speech about coming to all of the country.

Russian forces fired from across the river on towns and villages which were captured by Ukrainian forces. The town Beryslav is north of a critical dam and was hit by two Russian missiles. There were no confirmed casualties at this time.

“Occupants rob local people and exchange stuff for samogon,” or homemade vodka, said one resident, Tatiana, who communicated via a secure messaging app from Oleshky, a town across the river from Kherson City. They get more aggressive after getting drunk. We are afraid here. She asked that her surname be withheld for security.

“Russians roam around, identify the empty houses and settle there,” Ivan, 45, wrote in a text message. He lives in Skadovsk, which is south of Kherson city, and asked that his surname not be used out of concern for his safety. We try to find someone who is local to stay in the place. Russians don’t take it if it is not abandoned.

Putin’s crackdown on the Russian military attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure is “genocide,” a top Ukrainian official told the Kremlin

At a reception at the Kremlin on Thursday, Putin addressed the Russian military’s attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, clutching a glass of champagne.

He’s not the only Russian war blogger casting doubt. The blame for the incident in Makiivka began to be placed on the soldiers, said a post on the Telegram channel called “Grey Zone”, which was linked to the leader of theWagner Group of mercenaries. It is a lie and an attempt to throw off the blame.

The Kerch Bridge was where Putin drove a car across the structure he himself officially opened last year.

In his Kremlin appearance Thursday, he continued to say: “Who is not supplying water to Donetsk? Not supplying water to a city of million is an act of genocide.

He concluded his speech by saying that it would not interfere with the combat missions, and then he took a sip from his champagne glass.

The numerous assaults on plants and equipment that Ukrainians depend on for heat and light have drawn condemnation from the world, and has resulted in Ukraine being left without power while crews hurry to restore it.

The race to restore power to homes is being hampered by strong winds, rain, and sub- zero temperatures according to a statement from Ukrenergo.

The attacks on the energy grid amount to genocide, according to a top Ukrainian official. Ukrainian Prosecutor-General Andriy Kostin made the comments while speaking to the BBC last month.

Many were left in the dark by the strikes using Iranian drones. Mr. Zelensky said that the situation in the Odesa region was difficult and only the most critical infrastructure remained operational. Although repair crews were not stopping work, restoring power to civilians would take days, not hours.

“There are attacks on civilian infrastructure in different regions of our country. Residential buildings, hotel, (a) shop, place for festivals were damaged. He wrote that there were dead and injured.

NPR State of Ukraine: The First Day of the War between Russia and the U.S. During the First Half of the Cold War

Ukrainian authorities have been stepping up raids on churches accused of links with Moscow, and many are watching to see if Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy follows through on his threat of a ban on the Russian Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

The president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the leader of the Norwegian Prime Minister are coming to Paris for dinner with the French president.

Also in France, on Tuesday, the country is set to co-host a conference with Ukraine in support of Ukrainians through the winter, with a video address by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The US basketball player was freed from Russian custody in December after spending almost 10 months there. Her release came in exchange for the U.S. handing over convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner is back in the U.S. and reunited with her wife. Bout is back in Russia and is reported to have joined an ultranationalist party.

New measures targeting Russian oil revenue took effect Dec. 5. They include a price cap and a European Union embargo on most Russian oil imports and a Russian oil price cap.

Russian forces turned the city of Bakhmut into burned ruins, Zelenskyy said. Russia is attempting to advance in the eastern region of the country.

The meeting between Biden and Zelensky, who have spoken multiple times by phone and video link-ups but have not met in person since the invasion, comes at a vital moment in the war. Biden has cautiously sent arms and systems to Ukraine in a way that will save it but avoid a direct clash between NATO and Russia. He, for instance, rejected Ukrainian calls for the West to enforce a no-fly zone over the country. The US would be diving into the conflict at the deepest level since the start of the conflict.

You can read past recaps here. For context and more in-depth stories, you can find more of NPR’s coverage here. Also, check out the NPR State of Ukraine podcast for news throughout the day.

When I visited Ukraine as a college student in 1969 the country was an unhappy member-state of the Soviet Union. I recall making the mistake of calling Ukraine a “Russian satellite” and being quickly slapped down by a patriotic gentleman, who told me in no uncertain terms that Ukraine had its own beloved language, literature, history, music and cultural traditions.

Ievheniia’s story of a soldier killed in a Ukrainian army: The tale of long nights and a miracle

Long nights with the promise of a miracle: December is the month of fairy tales, when we peer into the darkness only to be reassured of the “happily ever after.”

“We used to joke that our life was like a dark fairy tale inclined towards a happy ending. Ievheniia, a Ukrainian woman in Poland who gave birth to her baby in December and is still nursing him, said she is sad for the child’s father.

Denys, Ievheniia’s husband, was killed in action while defending his country. The 47-year-old died at the site of some of the war’s heaviest fighting, near the city of Bakhmut in the east of the country. The Ukrainian troops have been holding the line for months and are waist-deep in mud.

The key moments in this Ukrainian fairy tale can be seen via video link. In a time of war, love has shifted to the digital space and disrupted the plot.

And so it was via a video call that Ievheniia, a 36-year-old PhD candidate working as an IT consultant, told me her story. Since the beginning of the Russian invasion in February, thousands of Ukrainian soldiers have died, and she decided to work with a stranger to raise awareness.

As we hurry to bring gifts to our loved ones, enchanted by the flickering of Christmas lights, we must remember the country in Europe plunged into darkness by Russia’s barbaric imperialist war.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/14/opinions/ukraine-christmas-fairy-tales-death-dovzhyk/index.html

A fairy tale of two women: a young Ukrainian woman who fought for the independence of Ukraine during the Second World War and her husband, Denys, left

Ievheniia arrived at an enlistment office after driving around the country under Russian bombardment. She was told to sign a contract the following Monday after being interviewed on a Friday.

She had decided to take a pregnant test on the weekend. “With war and evacuation, the ground was slipping under one’s feet,” she said with a laugh. “On top of that, it turned out that I was pregnant.”

The pregnancy test provided a twist in the story, as the woman who was going to defend her homeland instead joined the exodus of refugees to Poland.

Ievheniia and Denys sought to prove their partnership in the eyes of the state after the war. The country at war has always been inventive; now it is allowing its servicemen to marry via video call. “Instead of (by) boring civil servants, we got married remotely by a handsome man in a uniform. I had nothing to complain about,” Ievheniia said.

During the next few months, Denys used the internet to order flowers and professional photos from the trenches for Ievheniia.

When one morning she did not pick up the phone, Denys raised the alarm all over Warsaw and a rescue squad found Ievheniia unconscious in her rented flat. There could have been death if there had not been a delay. A Caesarean section followed. Because the baby was born two months early, the father was able to meet his new son.

Ukrainian men who fought in the war are not allowed to leave the country under martial law. Denys got permission, crossed the border, and spent a few days with his family.

“It was a magical time filled with ordinary things: shopping, registering with a pediatrician, laughing, talking. He left after that. It was his birthday on November 17 and we sent him greetings,” Ievheniia remembered. He was killed the next day.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/14/opinions/ukraine-christmas-fairy-tales-death-dovzhyk/index.html

Italo Calvino’s “consolatory fables” and the death of a soldier killed in a battle for Ukraine

The author of many works, Italo Calvino referred to them as “consolatory fables” because of the fact that a rare fairy tale ends badly. If it does, it means the time to be consoled has not yet come. The time has come to act.

We shouldn’t be deceived by the logic of a fairy tale. The child won’t take the help of magic to defeat the monster. Like ten months ago, Ukrainians need military aid sufficient to bring a decisive victory over Russia, not just prolong the fight with enormous sacrifices. Ukrainian victory depends on our collective effort.

I was wondering how I would fight against the evil that I was reading about when I was a teenager. Would I be able to continue with my daily activities? Ievheniia told me. “Today, all of us have a chance to find out.”

In October, Russia tried to take over one of four Ukrainian regions, violating international law, because it had been held by Russians for eight years.

“Forty rockets from BM-21 ‘Grad’ MLRS were fired at civilians in our city,” he said Thursday, adding that a key intersection in Donetsk city center had come under fire.

Meanwhile, artillery and rocket attacks continued in the southern city of Kherson, which was liberated by Ukrainian forces in November, targeting critical infrastructure, residential buildings, medical aid and public transport, leaving four dead, according to the head of the region’s military administration. A multi-storey apartment building was set on fire and a man’s body was found in one apartment, the Ukrainian prosecutors said. The city is still struggling to restore basic services.

“One of (the victims) was a volunteer, a member of the rapid response team of the international organization. They were killed by fragments of enemy shells when they were on the street.

Russian Embassy in Kyiv: Prime Minister Alexander Zelensky, the Defense Minister, and Defense Minister Vitalii Klitschko

The regional head of the Kherson military administration said that the city was completely disconnected from power supplies because of the strikes.

Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, said the city “received machinery and generators from the U.S. Government to operate boiler houses and heat supply stations.”

The Energy Security Project delivered over 130 generators, according to a Telegram post by Klitschko. All of the equipment was free.

This week, the Kremlin also appeared to rebuff Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s peace solution that involved asking Russia to start withdrawing troops from Ukraine this Christmas – as the war approaches the 10-month mark.

“The Ukrainian side needs to take into account the realities that have developed over all this time,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday in response to Zelensky’s three-step proposal.

He said that the Russian Federation has a new subjects, referring to four areas that Russia claimed to have annexed.

The Prime Minister of Ukraine said at the meeting that they have a goal to leave Ukrainians without light, water and heat.

The Engels air base, which is home to Russia’s long-range, nuclear-capable bombers, was targeted in a drone attack in early December, according to the Kremlin, slightly damaging two planes. The attack has yet to be claimed by Kyiv.

A supersonic plane with a Kinzal missile was visible in the sky overBelarus during Friday’s air attacks on Ukraine. But it was not clear from their statement whether a Kinzal was used in the attacks.

Russia is believed to have huge quantities of weapons and equipment close to troops they will supply and well within range of enemy weaponry. When it comes to large depots in Russia, the standard military practice is that they be split up and located far behind enemy lines.

The Biden administration announced on Wednesday it would provide more than $1 billion in military assistance to the countries of the former Yugoslavia. Since the start of the war the U.S. has supplied one of the most advanced and expensive defense systems.

“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.”

Zelensky previously spoke to US lawmakers by video back in March. “We need you right now,” he said at the time, early in the conflict, when he compared daily Russian strikes on Ukraine to Pearl Harbor and 9/11, attacks that shocked the United States.

In Paris when Zelensky pulled up to the lysée Palace, he was in a modest car, while Putin was in a limo. The host, French PresidentEmmanuelMacron, hugged Putin, but did not shake hands with Zelensky.

Fast forward to 2022 and Zelensky is the instantly recognizable wartime president in trademark olive green; as adept at rallying his citizens and stirring the imaginations of folks worldwide, as naming and shaming allies dragging their feet in arming his military.

With billions of dollars worth of military kit, failure to demonstrate further progress on the battlefield could stir unease among Western backers. It would be a political death sentence to capitulate to Russia.

Zelensky’s Voice in the War Room: When Putin and Putin Known About the Crimes of Petro-Poroshenko

Zelensky’s upbringing in the rough and tumble neighborhoods of Kryvyi Rih in central Ukraine shaped him into a scrappy kid who learned how to respond to bullies.

He knew what he needed to do after being bullied by Putin because of his gut feeling.

The leader who was offered anevacuation by the US as Russia launched its invasion quipped, “I need bullets, not a ride.”

It all seems a long, long way away from the campaign celebration in a Ukrainian nightclub where Zelensky thanked his supporters for an easy victory. He looked in disbelief as he stood on stage with the confetti, celebrating his win over Petro Poroshenko.

The military threat of Russia was so serious that Ukrainians had low confidence in their president to handle it.

Many people from his previous career, which was as a TV comedian, are in his bubble. Even in the midst of the war, a press conference held on the platform of a Kyiv metro station in April featured perfect lighting and curated camera angles to emphasize a wartime setting.

His nightly televised addresses made me feel better during the time of air raid sirens and explosions in the city.

Zelensky is showing confidence and competence by wearing T-shirts and hoodies, the youthful uniform of Silicon Valley, instead of suits, to a younger, global audience that recognizes it as such.

Zelenaska has shown herself to be an effective person in international fora, projecting her own style and smarts. She met with King Charles at a refugee assistance center at the Holy Family Cathedral in London. Zelenska was not included on the cover of TIME magazine, but she was listed in the supporting text.

Zelensky has strong tailwinds at his back, but there are signs that his influence may be waning. Zelensky wanted a $30 price cap on Russian crude in order to cause more pain to the Kremlin but the G7 imposed a $60 a barrel price cap.

The spectacle of Zelensky being celebrated in the heart of American power must be a nightmare for Putin, who thought this war, which started about 300 days ago, would be over quickly.

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, Wesley Clark said that Zelensky’s trip reflects a critical moment when the destiny of a war that Ukraine cannot win without upgraded US support could be decided before Russia can regroup.

As Zelensky said in a recent nightly video address: “No matter what the aggressor intends to do, when the world is truly united, it is then the world, not the aggressor, determines how events develop.”

The visit by President Volodymyr Zelensky in the White House will make a strong statement on America’s role as the main weapon in the war forUkraine’s survival.

Pulled together quickly by American and Ukrainian officials over the past 10 days, the wartime visit is meant to demonstrate in stirring fashion the continued American commitment to Ukraine at a moment when Biden’s ability to maintain that support at home and abroad is being tested.

Biden is hoping that by the time the war is over on February 24, he will have proved his commitment to Ukranian people even as it is not clear how long US and western resolve can last.

Zelensky, who the official said was “very keen” to visit the US, determined those parameters met his needs, and the US set to work executing them. The trip was finally confirmed on Sunday.

The U.S. Patriot Mission to Ukraine during World War II: A Memory of the First Christmas Visit of President Joe Biden to the House of Representatives

That is important to the US because Ukraine is a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States and not a member of NATO. One major reason the US has not provided more direct aid to Ukraine is concern that Putin would be provoked against NATO.

With winter bearing down and Putin’s forces using Iranian drones and other artillery to bombard crucial infrastructure, deliberately targeting civilian installations and leaving millions of Ukrainians in the cold and dark, “trying to use winter as a weapon,” in the words of President Joe Biden, “freezing people, starving people,” the suffering of Ukrainian men, women and children is worsening.

Unlike smaller air defense systems, Patriot missile batteries need much larger crews, requiring dozens of personnel to properly operate them. The training for Patriot missile batteries normally takes multiple months, a process the United States will now carry out under the pressure of near-daily aerial attacks from Russia.

The official stated that the US would train the Ukrainians to use the system. CNN has previously reported the training would occur at a US Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The President made it clear that we’re not going to engage in a direct war with Russia, but we will be strong in our support for the military, economic, energy and humanitarian fronts. The official said that nothing will change tomorrow.

It is anticipated that his first trip outside of Ukraine to the US, after the Russian invasion in February will be used to highlight President Joe Biden’s role in reviving the Western alliance that kept the Soviet Union at bay and counter the rise of new expansionism by Moscow in an effective proxy war

Zelensky will bring a lot of memories of the British Prime Minister arriving in Washington 81 years ago on Thursday after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. That Christmas visit cemented the alliance that would win World War II and built the post-war democratic world.

Zelensky’s appearance was facilitated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as one of her final acts before relinquishing the speaker’s gavel. Earlier this year she took a surprise visit of her own to meet with Zelensky in Kyiv.

With Republicans set to take over the majority in the House in the new year, his visit to Congress will play a bigger role in the debate over aid for Ukraine. Billions of dollars given to Ukraine by the US should be used to bolster the US southern border, said some pro-Donald Trump members who have significant leverage in the thin GOP majority.

Conscious of pressure from his right flank, the possible next speaker, GOP Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California, has warned that Ukraine should not expect a “blank check” from the new House. Even though Ukraine has strong Republican support in the Senate, it is this kind of Shifting Political Dynamic that may inform the Kremlin about how long the US resolve will last in a conflict that may or may not depend on Putin.

Zelensky, Churchill, and the Battle for Ukraine: Two Days of Infamy in Modern History as a US Ambassador to World War II

In March, for instance, Zelensky evoked Mount Rushmore and Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a Dream Speech” during a virtual address to Congress. When Americans experienced the fear of aerial bombardment, there were two days of infamy in modern history.

The wartime British leader sailed to the United States aboard HMS Duke of York, dodging U-boats in the wintery Atlantic and took a plane from the coast of Virginia to Washington, where he was met on December 22, 1941, by President Franklin Roosevelt before their joint press conference the next day.

Over days of brainstorming and meetings – fueled by Churchill’s regime of sherry with breakfast, Scotch and sodas for lunch, champagne in the evening and a tipple of 90-year-old brandy before bed – the two leaders plotted the defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan and laid the foundation of the Western alliance that Biden has reinvigorated in his support for Ukraine.

Churchill, who had pined for US involvement in World War II for months and knew it was the key to defeating Adolf Hitler, said during his visit, “I spend this anniversary and festival far from my country, far from my family, and yet I cannot truthfully say that I feel far from home.”

The Ukrainian leader is likely to appreciate the historical parallels. In an emotional speech to British members of parliament in March, he remembered one of the most famous speeches from the war.

More precision weapons are vital: they ensure Ukraine hits its targets, and not any civilians remaining nearby. And it means Ukraine does not go through the hundreds or thousands of shells Russia appears to burn through as it blanket bombards areas it wants to capture.

The new deal will likely include the supply of guidance kits, or Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAMs), which Ukraine can use to bolt on to their unguided missiles or bombs. The increase in accuracy will make a difference to the rate at which the forces burn through their weapons. A lot of the money is intended for replacements and stocks.

The End of the Cold War: When Putin, Putin, and the United States Come Together for a Resolved and Right-Armed Ukraine

Moscow’s conventional forces are struggling to be prepared, and its nuclear forces are running out of new cards to play. The use of a nuclear weapon has been made less likely by the united stances of China and India.

Russia has consistently moaned about the deliveries and has been relatively mild in its response to the crossing of what, as recently as January, could have been considered red lines.

Whatever the eventual truth of the matter – and military aid is opaque at the best of times – Biden wants Putin to hear nothing but headline figures in the billions, to sap Russian resolve, push European partners to help more, and make Ukraine’s resources seem limitless.

The remnants of the America First elements in the Trump party are now questioning how much aid the US should give to eastern Europe.

Washington’s defense budget is nearly one trillion dollars a year, so the bill for the long and dark war against Russia is relatively light.

He has boldly challenged the logic of Putin’s unrestrained aggression, laying the groundwork for a future where the Ukrainian people once again possess the right to self-determination.

Editor’s Note: Frida Ghitis, (@fridaghitis) a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She writes for The Washington Post, World Politics Review and is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN. The views she gives are her own. View more opinion on CNN.

Volodymyr Zelensky: Defying tyranny with Russia, Russia, and Israel: an extraordinary evening at the White House

Members of the United States Congress, Republicans and Democrats, rose to their feet time and again Wednesday night, nearly drowning out Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in one emotional standing ovation after another. It was an extraordinary evening, concluding an extraordinary day during a crucial moment in history.

Zelensky made his historic trip at a crucial moment in what future generations may come to view as one of the defining conflicts of our time: the battle between democracy and autocracy, in which Ukraine today is the blazing, blood-soaked, shivering front line.

The Congress was assured that money is not charity and they would debate billions more in military and economic support. We handle it in a responsible way, because it is an investment in global security and democracy.

“We really fight for our common victory against this tyranny that is real life,” Zelensky said in a press conference at the White House — “and we will win.”

Underscoring the point, he said the soldiers fighting in the brutal battle for Bakhmut asked him to give their battle flag – a flag of Ukraine signed by its defenders – as a gift to the U.S. Congress. There were tears in the house.

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.

She said Zelensky’s historic address “strengthened both Democrats and Republicans who understand what is at stake in this fight against Putin and Russian aggression and now with their ally, Iran, as well.”

Clinton thinks that no one is asking for a blank check. “I believe that the Ukrainians have proven that they are a really good investment for the United States. They are not asking us to be there to fight their war. They’re fighting it themselves. They’re asking us and our allies for the means to not only defend themselves but to actually win.”

Clinton, who met Putin while he was the US secretary of state, said it was hard to predict how the war would play out.

Zelensky, a wartime leader, arrives at the end of the Balkan war: His keynote address to the United States senators in Bali

Shrouded in secrecy until the last minute, the historic visit was heavy with symbolism, from Zelensky’s drab green sweatshirt to President Joe Biden’s blue-and-yellow striped tie to the Ukrainian battle flag unfurled on the House floor.

Zelensky was departing Washington for a lengthy and risky return trip to his home country, but didn’t seem to know a clear path to ending the conflict.

Emerging from their talks, both men made clear they see the war entering a new phase. Russians are worried that a stalemate is growing as they send more troops to the front and wage an air campaign.

Zelensky made a statement on Wednesday that suggested the road to peace wouldn’t involve making concessions to Russia.

He doesn’t see a road to peace that involvesUkraine giving up territory or sovereignty.

At the Group of 20 summit in Bali in November, Zelenskyy presented a 10-point peace formula that includes the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the withdrawal of Russian troops, the release of all prisoners, a tribunal for those responsible for the aggression and security guarantees for Ukraine.

Biden said it was the responsibility of Zelensky to decide how he wants the war to end.

Zelensky peppered his address to lawmakers with references to American history, from the critical Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolutionary War to the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

He telegraphed his choice to deliver the address in English, and it was delivered in English. Even his attire – the now-familiar Army green shirt, cargo pants and boots – seemed designed to remind his audience they were in the presence of a wartime leader.

Zelensky, the public, and the issue of nationality in the light of World War II: Resolving the tragedy of Ukraine

Over the course of the conflict, Zelensky has demonstrated an acute ability to appeal to his audience, be they national legislatures or the audience of the Grammys.

On Wednesday, he sought to harness Americans’ emotional response to his country’s suffering, evoking dark winter nights as Russia seeks to interrupt Ukraine’s power supply.

“In two days we will celebrate Christmas. It could be candlelit. Not because it’s more romantic, no, but because there will not be – there will be no electricity,” he said.

He knew that many Americans, including some Republicans in Congress, had questioned why billions of US dollars were needed for a conflict thousands of miles away. He wanted to make the cause bigger than just his own country.

Zelensky asked for more patriotism and Biden responded with a laugh, a window into the world of complicated relationships.

On the surface, Biden and Zelensky have maintained a stalwart partnership. Zelensky was effusive in his praise of Biden as he left the Oval Office to go to Capitol Hill.

That hasn’t always sat well with Biden or his team. Biden appeared to be going to translate his physical proximity into a better understanding of his counterpart, as he has with many foreign leaders.

“It is all about looking someone in the eye. I mean it sincerely. I don’t think there is any substitute for sitting down face to face with a friend or a foe and looking them in the eye,” he said.

The Ornate State House Republicans Analyses: Volodymyr Zelensky, the Emperor and the War of the World, Revisited

Fresh from a trip to the bloody front lines in Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelensky strode onto the ornate US House floor on Wednesday evening in his signature green military wear to shore up his supply line.

Zelensky looked like a warrior when he used English to say that the defeat of Russia in the battle for minds of the world was a joint victory.

Although he did not mention the elephant in the room, the speech was a clear plea to Republican lawmakers, who will control the House in January, to stay with Ukraine.

His remarks came as Congress had been planning to vote this week on a year-long spending bill that includes roughly $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and NATO allies.

Zelensky contemplated years ago how the reception he was going to receive at the White House could not be what he had in mind. Zelensky used the same chamber where Trump was impeached three years ago to thank Americans for their help against Russia.

He said he remembered the battle of the blicke in World War II, when US troops were surrounded in the snow after gaining a foothold in Europe.

Zelensky said that the brave American soldiers were similar to those who fought back Hitler’s troops during the Christmas of 1944, and are doing this same to Putin’s forces this Christmas.

“He’s already established in the American people’s mind we’re in this together, but then pointing out that they’ll do the fighting for us – ‘just give us the tools and we will finish the job.’ That’s what Churchill said,” Kearns Goodwin told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Wednesday evening.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/politics/zelensky-speech-house-republicans-analysis/index.html

U.S. President Vladimir Zelensky urged Ukraine to keep an ear open and firmly in the throes of war

An address to Congress is a great place for a foreign president to speak in the US. Putin canceled his annual year-end press conference.

But at the same time, it’s clear to Zelensky, and also to Biden, that this is the time to re-engage the US public as Russia’s war drags toward its one-year marker with no indication there is an end to fighting on the way.

The new money that the White House pledged toUkraine in the larger spending bill was a factor in it being substantive.

House GOP leader Kevin McCarthy, who wants to be House speaker and needs votes from Ukraine-skeptical Republicans to get there next month, did meet with Zelensky and the other three top congressional leaders.

The only Ukrainian-born member of congress has expressed skepticism about some of the aid to UTk and concerns about corruption.

Dismissing accusations of a proxy war, Sloat says Zelenskyy and Ukraine have made clear that they want a “just peace,” and all the U.S. has been doing is help the country defend itself against Russian aggression.

There’s a good chance that Russian President Vladimir Putin authorized the supply of anti-aircraft weapons to the pro-Moscow rebels in Ukranian.

According to a Russian history professor at the School of Advanced International Studies, the Kremlin has been selling the line to the Russians.

“Another provocative move by the U.S. and Russia could lead to Russian aggression,” Moscow said last week, in reference to the reported delivery of Patriot missiles to Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky called on Ukrainians to have “patience and faith” in a defiant Christmas address after a deadly wave of Russian strikes pounded the southern city of Kherson.

He urged the nation to remain firm in the face of a bleak winter and the threat of Russian attacks.

“There may be empty chairs around it. We can’t be so bright. And Christmas bells can ring not so loudly and inspiringly. Through air raid sirens, or even worse – gunshots and explosions.”

He said that Ukraine had been resisting evil forces for three hundred days and eight years, however, “in this battle, we have another powerful and effective weapon. Our spirits and consciousness are represented by the hammer and sword. God’s wisdom. Courage and bravery. Virtues that incline us to do good and overcome evil.”

Addressing the Ukrainian people directly, he said the country would sing Christmas carols louder than the sound of a power generator and hear the voices and greetings of relatives “in our hearts” even if communication services and the internet are down.

“And even in total darkness – we will find each other – to hug each other tightly. And if there is no heat, we will give a big hug to warm each other.”

Zelensky concluded: “We will celebrate our holidays! As always. We will smile and be happy. As always. The difference is just one. We will not wait for a miracle. After all, we create it ourselves.”

One branch of the Ukrainian Orthodox church decided to allow churches to celebrate Christmas on December 25. Many younger Ukrainians are moving away from Russia and towards the west because they want to observe the holiday on December 25.

A Russian Foreign Minister Accused of War Crimes and the Detection of a Patriot Anti-missile Battery at the Ukrainian Airfields

He wrote on Telegram that they were not military facilities. According to the rules, this is not a war. It is terror, it is killing for the sake of intimidation and pleasure.”

It is possible that missiles on the ground at the Russian airfields could be destroyed by the strikes.

He said, “You cannot consider, this person is going to attack you because you are fighting back.” There is absolutely no reason not to do this.

The Kinzhal is the most advanced missile in Russia’s arsenal, and it’s only in a short supply.

KYIV, Ukraine — Ukraine’s foreign minister on Monday said that his government is aiming to have a peace summit by the end of February, preferably at the United Nations with Secretary-General António Guterres as a possible mediator, around the anniversary of Russia’s war.

But Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told The Associated Press that Russia could only be invited to such a summit if the country faced a war crimes tribunal first.

Kuleba also said he was “absolutely satisfied” with the results of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to the U.S. last week, and he revealed that the U.S. government had made a special plan to get the Patriot missile battery ready to be operational in the country in less than six months. The training can take up to a year.

Kuleba said during the interview that diplomacy always plays an important part and that Ukraine will do everything it can to win the war in 2023.

The United Nations should be the best place for the UN summit to be held, says U.S. Secretary of State Mikhail Kuleba

He said that the United Nations could be the best place for the summit to be held. “This is really about bringing everyone on board.”

Kuleba said that Guterres is an efficient mediation and negotiator and also a man of principle and integrity. So we would welcome his active participation.”

“They regularly say that they are ready for negotiations, which is not true, because everything they do on the battlefield proves the opposite,” he said.

Kuleba, who was part of the delegation that went to the U.S., said it shows how both the United States and Ukraine are important to them.

He said that the U.S. government developed a program for the missile battery to complete the training faster than usual “without any damage to the quality of the use of this weapon on the battlefield.”

While Kuleba didn’t mention a specific time frame, he said only that it will be “very much less than six months.” He added that the training will be outside of Ukranian.

During Russia’s ground and air war in Ukraine, Kuleba has been second only to Zelenskyy in carrying Ukraine’s message and needs to an international audience, whether through Twitter posts or meetings with friendly foreign officials.

Russia should be excluded from the world body if the U.N member states wish to do so, Ukraine said on Monday. Kuleba said that they had prepared for this step to uncover the fraud and deprive Russia of its status.

The Foreign Ministry told us that the legal process for obtaining membership in the UN was never done by Russian.

Ukranian Defense Ministry reveals that missile attacks on Ukrainian cities were killed by the air raid sirens during the December 7th holiday season

“Russian terrorists have been saving one of the most massive missile attacks since the beginning of the full-scale invasion for the last days of the year,” Ukraine’s Defense Ministry said in a statement on Twitter Thursday. “They dream that Ukrainians will celebrate the New Year in darkness and cold. They are unable to defeat the Ukrainian people.

When the sound of air raid sirens and an explosion woke up her, she and her son went to the basement shelter beneath their building. They weren’t surprised or worried nor did they let it affect their spirits.

After the sirens gave the all clear, life in the capital went back to normal, Hryn said: “In the elevator I met my neighbors with their child who were in hurry to get to the cinema for the new Avatar movie on time.” People went to work, while parents took their children to school, even though many had holiday plans that were in defiance.

The Mayor of Lviv warned the city’s waterworks that they could stop working if electricity were cut off.

Emergency power cuts were enacted in Odesa due to the missile attacks. “They are introduced due to the threat of missile attacks to avoid significant damage if the enemy manages to hit energy facilities,” DTEK, a utility company, said in a statement.

“Senseless barbarism.” The Foreign Minister of Ukranian, Dmytro Kuleba said that there could be no neutrality in the face of Russia launching new attacks on Ukrainian cities.

The Ukrainian military said most of the cruise missiles fired at it on Thursday were shot down by the defense forces. 16 missiles were destroyed by Ukrainian air defenses over Kyiv, according to Klitschko.

There were several locations where the emergency services were dispatched. There are videos that show severed limbs and bloodied faces on one residential street.

Zelensky’s victory speech in Donetsk, Chernihiv, Ukraine, on Saturday night at the Kremlin

The Russian leader gave the highest military honor in the country, the Order of Saint George, to the commander of its forces in Ukraine.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, the return of 81 Russian prisoners of war was the result of negotiations that were held with the control of the Ukranian regime.

Zelensky spoke Russian in his nightly address on Saturday to send out a message to the Kremlin and Russians as he watched Moscow launch strikes on several regions of Ukraine.

“All this war that you are waging, you – Russia, it is not the war with NATO, as your propagandists lie,” Zelensky said. “It is not for something historical. It’s for one person to remain in power until the end of his life.

Three people died and three more were wounded in the Donetsk region, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine Tymoshenko made a statement on Telegram.

There was a wounded person in the region. Two were killed and one was wounded in the region. Two people were wounded in the Kherson region, while one died in the Chernihiv region.

“26 of the enemy’s air strikes were on civilian infrastructure. In particular, the occupants used 10 Shahed-136 UAVs, but all of them were shot down. The General Staff said in its latest operational update that civilian settlements were also hit by the 80 attacks made by the enemy.

Revisiting the Yugoslav missile attack in the 1939-2001 Ukrainian War of Independence: Memories of a Boyfriend with a Thousand Years of War

It said that Russia “continues to conduct offensive actions at the Lyman and Bakhmut directions and is trying to improve the tactical situation at the Kupiansk and Avdiivka directions.”

“The municipal ‘life support system’ of the capital is operating normally. A third of consumers are without electricity. Due to emergency shutdowns,” he said on Telegram.

The section of the red metro line in the city was restricted for the sake of detecting remnants of missile debris.

“From 2023 I really want to win, and also to have more bright impressions and new emotions. I miss it a lot. I also want to travel across the world. And I also think about personal and professional growth, because one should not stand still. I have to develop and work for the benefit of the country,” said Alyona Bogulska, a 29-year-old financier.

It is not a small victory, but a symbol that we survived the year, according to a pharmacy employee.

“On New Year’s Eve, cities should be covered by wave of celebration, joy and hope. Zelenska said that Ukrainian cities were again covered by missile wave from Russia.

Mr. Zelensky spoke in a video of many notable moments from the war, including the attack on the maternity hospital, as well as the intense fighting at the Azovstal steel plant.

He said that this year has struck his heart, according to the transcript on his official website. “We’ve cried out all the tears. All the prayers have been said. 311 days. We have something to say about every minute.”

From Buenos Aires to Kiev: The First War in a Globally Connected World. Jay Parini, Editor’s Note: Borges and Me

By March, my initial shock and fear of the war turned into a desire to act through sports. Athletes could fight against the Russians in a positive way. It was necessary to tell the truth about how brave we are and how strong we are. How we have united to defend our country.

The world has rallied around Ukraine, Mr. Zelensky said, from the main squares of foreign cities and their halls of government to the top of Google’s search results.

Editor’s Note: Jay Parini, a poet and novelist, teaches at Middlebury College. His most recent book was titled “Borges and Me” a memoir of his travels in Scotland in 1971 with another person, the Argentine theorist and autobiographical writer,Jorge Luis Borges. The views expressed in this commentary belong to the author. There is more opinion at CNN.

It is an unprecedented conflict in modern times, as Thomas L. Friedman notes in The New York Times. Friedman stated that the first war in a totally connected world was thanks to social media platforms like TikTok and satellites.

Daniel Johnson, an Iraq war veteran and journalist, wrote in Slate that it is a large-scale invasion that is being live streamed to the world. Those who are far away from the fighting are able to watch on TV and smart phones what is happening in real time.

Zelensky and Putin: The consequences of a bad war for the Russian Army and the Russian military, according to David A. Andelman

Zelensky did not achieve great success and his popularity waned after a couple of years. By October 2021, polls showed his approval ratings had gone into freefall.

His gifts for communication and his remarkable grasp of social media make him a formidable opponent for Putin, even though the army he commands, in sheer numbers and resources, pales beside Russia’s.

Editor’s Note: David A. Andelman, a contributor to CNN, twice winner of the Deadline Club Award, is a chevalier of the French Legion of Honor, author of “A Red Line in the Sand: Diplomacy, Strategy, and the History of Wars That Might Still Happen” and blogs at Andelman Unleashed. He used to be a correspondent for CBS News in Europe and Asia. The views he gives in this commentary are his own. CNN has more opinion.

The Russian account states that it was the cell phones that novice troops were using that allowed the Ukrainians to hit them the most accurately. Ukraine, however, has not indicated how the attack was executed. But the implications are broader and deeper, especially for how Russia is conducting its war now.

It is true that days after the deadliest known attack on Russian servicemen, President Putin called for a temporary ceasefire. The move was rightly dismissed by Ukraine and the US as a cynical attempt to seek breathing space amid a very bad start to the year for Russian forces.

Russian officials said that the school where the troops were housed was hit by four Ukrainian-launched rockets. Two more rockets were shot down by Russian air defenses.

Chris Dougherty, a senior fellow for the Defense Program and co-head of the Gaming Lab at the Center for New American Security in Washington, has told me that Russia’s failure to break up or move large arms depots is largely a function of the reality that their forces cannot communicate adequately.

It is a view shared by many other experts. “Bad communications security seems to be standard practice in the Russian Army,” James Lewis, director of the Strategic Technologies Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), told me in an e-mail exchange.

After the recent Makiivka strikes, the British Ministry of Defence said, “The Russian military has a record of unsafe ammunition storage from prior to the current war, but this incident highlights how unprofessional practices contribute to Russia’s high casualty rate.”

The soldiers killed in Makiivka were conscripts, part of a larger picture of Russian soldiers being sent to the front lines with little training and subpar equipment.

Many inmates from Russian prisons were released and transferred to the Ukrainian front in recent days. One can only imagine how appealing the use of cell phones would be to prisoners accustomed to years of isolation with little or no contact with the outside world.

Semyon Pegov, who blogs under the alias WarGonzo and was personally awarded the Order of Courage by President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin two weeks ago, attacked the Ministry of Defense for its “blatant attempt to smear blame” in suggesting it was the troops’ own use of cell phones that led to the precision of the attack.

He questioned how the Ministry of Defense could be “so sure” that the location of soldiers lodging in a school building could not have been determined using drone surveillance or a local informant.

Shoigu: The Defense Minister Before the Makiivka Attack and his Call for a Rejoinder to the European Union

When Putin himself will be blamed, it’s not clear if he will be able to change the leadership at the top. The first person to be in overall command of the Russian forces on the Ukrainian front was a general who was in charge of the brutal bombardment of Syria.

A month earlier, the defense ministry underwent a shakeup when Col. Gen. Mikhail Y. Mizintsev, known to Western officials as the “butcher of Mariupol,” was named deputy defense minister for overseeing logistics, replacing four-star Gen. Dmitri V. Bulgakov, who had held the post since 2008. The location of the arms depot, adjacent to the Makiivka recruits, would likely have been on Mizintsev’s watch.

Still, Putin-favorite Sergei Shoigu remains defense minister — as recently as Saturday, before the Makiivka attack, telling his forces in a celebratory video: “Our victory, like the New Year, is inevitable.”

The US may dispatch Bradley armored fighting vehicles to Ukranian, according to the Biden administration. French President Emmanuel Macron also announced he would be sending light tanks, though Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was urging the dispatch of heavier battle tanks. As a result of this, the German Chancellor has to add its powerful Leopard 2 tanks to the mix.

His renewed appeal to join the EU comes after Ukraine officially became an EU candidate state last year. It will probably be years before Ukrainians can join the bloc.

Zelensky said that his country and the European Union share the same values and that the European standards of life are in line with the law.

The president warned European lawmakers that Russia wants to return Europe to the xenophobia of the 1930s and 1940s. He said that the answer was no. We are defending ourselves. We have to defend ourselves.

Zelensky said that the country needs tanks, long-range missiles and fighter jets. “We have to enhance the dynamic of our cooperation” and act “faster than the aggressor,” he added.

“I am very inspired by your statements that Europe will be with us until our victory. I have heard it from a number of European leaders and I am very grateful to them for this,” Zelensky said during a press conference following the European Council meeting.

“I’ve heard about the readiness to give us the necessary weapons and support, including the aircrafts. He said they are doing to raise the issue of the fighter jets and other aircrafts. “So we are working and will continue working in Brussels.”

Zelensky was confident but coy about getting the jet fighters he wanted, but he did say that there are certain agreements that are positive.

The Ukrainian leader has a proven track record persuading allies to give him what he wants, it could be that his visit to London has achieved results.

His meeting with the German Chancellor and French President in Paris extended the conversation. The meeting is positive and the people are discussing concrete decisions. Indeed, I would not want to announce many things publicly, but all I can say is that we will working towards the enhancement of our capabilities.”

His request inBelgium was emotional, with so many Ukrainians dying. I just don’t have the right to come home without my results.

France is determined to assist Ukrainians in the war against Russia according to Zelensky. “We stand by Ukraine, determined to help it to win,” he said. “Ukraine can count on France and its allies to win the war, Russia should not and will not win the war.”

He added: “We know Russia will lose. We know that victory will change the world. The United Kingdom is moving with us in pursuit of a victory. The victory over the idea of war.

How did Zelensky fight corruption in Ukraine? The 2013-2014 Revolution of Dignity, a day in the life of the protesters

Zelensky was accused of let pledges to reform the judicial system slide and that could derail the country’s ambitions of joining the European Union.

The issue was emotional for Ukrainians. It is worth recalling that becoming part of the bloc was the main motivation of thousands of protesters taking to the streets in freezing temperatures during the 2013-2014 Revolution of Dignity — also known as the Maidan.

It seems that a war cannot mobilize a nation to the point when the most greedy cease their dirty actions. Since the start of February, serious allegations have surfaced of senior officials either profiting off of the war or conducting themselves with gross incompetence.

A well-known tactic to skim off money was used when the military was allowed to be bought food at heavily inflated prices.

In another, a deputy prosecutor general was sacked after being spotted holidaying with his family in Marbella, Spain. He reportedly drove there in a Mercedes owned by a wealthy businessman.

The scandals couldn’t have come at a worse time for the Zelensky administration, which is reportedly grappling with a monthly budget deficit of $5 billion.

Similarly, Yevhen Hlibovytsky, former political journalist and founder of the Kyiv-based think tank and consultancy, pro.mova, told me: “Zelensky’s fight with corruption would have been more convincing if it was started at his own stables and followed with the institutional changes.” He said that no fight with corruption should disrupt the war effort.

But as some Ukrainian commentators have noted, many officials were allowed to gracefully resign rather than face sacking and further punishment. Bolshedvor, who has gained a large social media following as an unofficial government watchdog, questioned whether the shakeup was a genuine step in the war against corruption.

Zelensky may be opening himself to accusations of overreach. When a member of the Zelensky faction in Parliament was discovered sunning himself on a Thai beach while his country is in the midst of a war, the government responded by promptly booting the lawmaker from the ruling party.

Zelensky’s call for more military aid was amplified when lawmakers were banned from traveling overseas at a time when they should be seen as ambassadors for the country.

He said it was an illegal move and violated the Ukrainian constitution. He told me that the rights of MPs can not be limited during martial law.

It’s not a good decision for the country. He gave talks at universities in the US and met with members of Congress, he said, adding that he was building up support for Ukraine.

Reports of corruption at the highest level of government are nothing new to most Ukrainians. But the new allegations come at a time when millions of them have fled Ukraine for safe haven abroad — and could act as a deterrent for them coming back anytime soon.

Many young Ukrainians I’ve spoken to agree that the government should not see the war as a pass to suspend the battle against corruption — even with the economy in shambles.

“I’m 100% against turning a blind eye against corruption and finding excuses such as the state of the economy or the war. We should continue investigating, prosecuting and fighting corruption,” Olga Kearley, a 29-year-old Kyiv-based Ukrainian entrepreneur told me.

I have not stopped recycling because of the war. It’s my fundamental belief and moral standard. We should continue our fight against our inner demons even though we’re fighting the outside ones, and corruption is one of them.

“We have a lot to rebuild. We expect a lot of transformation. It is the rebirth of our nation. It’s the Ukraine that my generation wants to see. I do hope that all those young people that left will see that Ukraine is changing. They should come back and be part of it,” Kearley said.

Zelensky needs to respond to allegations with the same determination that Ukrainian soldiers have demonstrated.

Ukraine’s State of the Union: The Second Year After Biden’s Emergency Emergency Service in the U.S. During the Second World War

There is an opportunity to create a country where corruption is not accepted, and where the power of billionaires is no longer free.

Ukrainian Ambassador to the U.S. Oksana Markarova attended President Biden’s State of the Union speech, for the second year in a row, but the war in Ukraine received far less attention in the address this time.

On February 24, 2022, I was supposed to be in Kyiv. My husband and I had to stay in Moscow after he broke his shoulder. He had surgery at 9:00 a.m. that morning.

The war has claimed tens of thousands of lives since it began a year ago. It has wreaked carnage, decimated cities, caused a food and energy crisis, and tested the resolve of western alliances.

The Story of Russian Modernization and the Legacy of Egor Gaidar. I, My Husband, and I. I. The First Year Putin War In Ukraine, Cover Opinions

Zaporizhzhia, February 23, 2022. I was going to celebrate my husband’s birthday the next day. Our life was getting better. My husband was running his own business. Our daughter had started school and made friends there. We were lucky to have arranged support services and found a special needs nursery for our son. I finally had enough time to do my job. I felt happy.

We are trying to live in the here and now. The truth is, we are devastated. While physically we are in Prague, our hearts have remained in Ukraine.

My husband got a job because of the opportunities for Ukrainians in the Czech Republic. I found special needs classes for my son. He now attends an adaptation group for Ukrainian children and has a learning support assistant. My daughter goes to a Czech school while studying in her Ukrainian school remotely.

Andrei Kolesnikov is a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. He is the author of a number of books about the political and social history of Russia. The story of Russian Modernization and the Legacy of Egor Gaidar.

The invasion started the morning we woke up. I wrote an open letter denouncing the war, which was co-signed by 12 Russian writers, directors and cultural figures. Soon it was published, and tens of thousands of Russian citizens added their signatures.

On the third day we, my husband and I, left Russia. I felt that it was some kind of moral obligation. I could no longer stay on the territory of the state that has become a fascist one.

We moved to Berlin. Thousands of Ukrainians had arrived at the refugee camp next to the main railway station every day, so my husband volunteered in order to help out. I am writing a new book. It starts like this.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/18/opinions/one-year-anniversary-putin-war-ukraine-russia-wrap-opinions-ctpr/index.html

How the Russians Have Lived Through the Cold War. I. What have we learnt about the coming of Russia from my family and the London/Ukraine crisis?

I know that Russian people are infected with imperialism. We failed to spot just how deadly the very idea of Russia as a “great empire” was – now we have to come a long way, healing our nation from that disease.

This whole year has been full of tears and worries. I read about people killed by the Russians when I was a teammate, a coach, or a friend.

I am haunted by the darkness in my father’s eyes when he retells the stories of relatives who were shipped off to the Soviet Gulag, never to return. Stories of millions of Ukrainians who starved to death in Stalin’s manmade famine of 1932-33.

February 24, 2022, was the date when Russian missiles first began falling. The fear felt by Ukrainians has been replaced with anger as they stand up to barrages of rockets and drones.

A year into the full-scale invasion, my passport is a novel in stamps. My life is split between London and Ukraine, with both of them giving me lesson in courage.

My former classmates from Zaporizhzhia whom, based on our teenage habits, I expected to perish from addictions a long time ago, have volunteered to fight. My hairdresser, who was supposed to be a sweet summer child, fled on foot with her mother, grandmother and five dogs from the Russia occupied town of Bucha through the forest.

My capital, which the Kremlin and the West expected to fall in three days, has withstood 12 months of Russia’s terrorist bombings and energy blackouts. The Russians have been able to bring the stars closer to eternity because of the dark winter nights.

It seems that we have experienced several eras. The first was euphoric, when Putin suddenly, after a significant time of stagnant ratings, received more than 80% approval from the population.

He canceled the future by taking away the past. It’s easier to live this way when your superiors decide everything for you, and you take for granted everything you are told by propaganda.

It is impossible to adapt to a catastrophe of this magnitude for myself and my family. As an active commentator on the events, I was labeled by the authorities as a “foreign agent,” which increased personal risk and reinforced the impression of living in an Orwellian anti-utopia.

On the evening of February 23 I washed my dog, cleaned the house, took a bath and lit candles. I have a one-bedroom apartment in the north of the city. I loved taking care of it. I loved the life I had. All of it – the small routines and the struggles. The last time my life mattered was that night.

The phone was busy the next day, and I missed many calls. A red headline in all caps on the Kyiv Independent website read: “PUTIN DECLARES WAR ON UKRAINE.”

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/18/opinions/one-year-anniversary-putin-war-ukraine-russia-wrap-opinions-ctpr/index.html

The fight of the first day of world war II: The struggle of the First Ukrainian Soldiers to raise the flag in the Battle of Varsovia

I remember talking to colleagues, trying to assemble and coordinate a small army of volunteers to strengthen the newsroom. And calling my parents to organize buying supplies.

The life I was used to was falling apart soon after. It no longer mattered what cup I used to drink my morning tea, or how I dressed, or whether or not I took a shower. The battle mattered more than life.

It was easy to forget the joys of the pre-war era after a few weeks of full-scale invasion. I used to be upset about my boyfriend but now I can’t relate. My life didn’t change on February 24, it was stolen from me on that day.

There was one more fight that I had to battle to claim my life back. The life Russia stole from me and millions of Ukrainians.

I was no longer concerned with my personal ambitions. Only the common goal was crucial – to raise our flag and show that we are fighting even under these circumstances.

I couldn’t enjoy my victories on the track. They were only possible because so many defenders had laid down their lives. But I got messages from soldiers on the frontline. They were very happy to follow our achievements and that was my primary motivation to continue my career.

Arrival Times for a One-Year War-Anniversary Visit to Ukraine: A Report on Biden’s State of the State of Kyiv

The new aid will include more military equipment, such as javelins and Howitzers, according to Biden. And he said new sanctions would be imposed on Moscow later this week.

Biden arrived in Kyiv at 8 a.m. local time after a lengthy, covert journey from Washington and arrived to the Mariinsky Palace half-an-hour later. He left Kyiv in the afternoon.

Biden was shrouded in secret, reflecting the serious security concerns he had. Air Force One departed Joint Base Andrews under cover of darkness at 4:15 a.m. ET on Sunday, and reporters aboard the plane were not allowed to carry their devices with them.

Biden is traveling with a small group of people including Jake Sullivan, deputy chief of staffJen O’Malley Dillon and personal aide Annie Tomasini.

The trip comes ahead of Biden’s planned two-day visit to Poland. The White House stated that the President was going to have a meeting with the Polish President in Warsaw.

Biden has been itching to visit Ukraine for months, particularly after several of his counterparts in Europe all endured lengthy train journeys to meet with Zelensky in Kyiv. The leader of France, the leader of Germany, the leader of Canada, the leader of Britain, and the leader of the British government have all gone to the country to show their support.

A small city in the far southwestern part of Ukraine was visited by Biden’s wife on Mother’s Day last year. She met with Zelenska at a former school that was turned into temporary housing for Ukrainians who’d fled their homes.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/20/politics/biden-ukraine-zelensky-visit-one-year-war-anniversary-intl-hnk/index.html

China’s First Foreign Minister since the Russian Invasion of Ukraine: Why Vladimir Zelensky refused to re-visit Ukraine

But it remains unclear what parameters Zelensky might be willing to accept in any peace negotiations, and the US has steadfastly refused to define what a settlement may look like beyond stating it will be up to Zelensky to decide.

American officials told CNN that the US has recently begun seeing disturbing trends and there are signs thatBeijing wants to provide lethal military aid to Moscow without being caught.

The officials would not say what intel the US has seen suggesting a shift in China’s posture, but said they have shared the intel with allies and partners over the last few days.

The first visit by a Chinese official since the Russian invasion of Ukraine is expected this week in Moscow by Wang, who is now China’s top foreign policy adviser.

According to China’s Foreign Ministry, Wang’s visit will provide an opportunity for China and Russia to continue to develop their strategic partnership and “exchange views” on “international and regional hotspot issues of shared interest” – a catch-all phrase often used to allude to topics including the war in Ukraine.

Zelenskyy’s turn around began the morning of Feb 24, 2022, when Russian soldiers were planning to capture or kill him. The president decided to stay put.

Arestovych said that they asked about cruise missiles. “He said, ‘I’ll stay here.’” According to Arestovych, he mentioned the Russian saboteurs and assassins. He says Zelenskyy again refused.

It’s about an earnest high school history teacher who rails against Ukraine’s corruption and corrosive politics. When a student captures the rant on video and posts it on social media, Zelenskyy’s character becomes a sensation and is swept into office.

As a real-life candidate, Zelenskyy was also a sensation, winning in a landslide with 73% of the vote. The political party he founded was called Servant of the People.

Zelenskyy made a number of pledges during the campaign, including ending the war with Russia in the east of the country and boosting the economy. He did not govern as many had hoped.

But his decision to stay in Kyiv in the early days of the war quickly turned public opinion around. By August, about 90% of Ukrainians said they approved of his job performance. The character actor understood what the Ukrainian people needed in a time of crisis.

Zelenskyy was supported by international support. He spoke to the european parliament by video and brought the English translator to tears.

He spoke in English to the congress in December and drew a lot of applause.

Zelenskyy in the Kherson region: Ivan Bakanov in Ukraine’s Secret Service, or why Ukraine defeated Russia in July 2014

I saw him in the Kherson region less than a month before the invasion. He was watching drills to protect against Russian sabotage. Zelenskyy gave a news conference which he was defensive and confusing. Zelenskyy downplayed warnings that Russia would launch a massive invasion.

There is too much info about a full scale war in today’s information space, which is why the president is standing in the middle of the street.

Chornovol served in Ukraine’s parliament from 2014 to 2019. Later on, she joined the military. I met her in the Kherson region, where she was employed to shoot missiles at Russian armor.

Chornovol says the Ukrainian army was unable to stop a Russian advance on the north of the city before the war began.

“What was done was simply criminal,” said Chornovol, who proudly showed me her missile launcher which was camouflaged with Astroturf. “There was no preparation for the invasion. Kyiv was not fortified in any way.”

Jack Watling, senior researcher in land warfare at the Royal United Services Institute in London, says that a brigade and half of troops were to be deployed to the area, but weren’t. Ukrainian officers warned higher-ups the south was vulnerable to a Russian attack.

Ukrainian parliamentarians are cautious not to launch domestic political attacks because the country is at war. But Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, a Ukrainian lawmaker with the opposition European Solidarity party, says she and others will be asking tough questions about what happened in the south as soon as — she says — Ukraine defeats Russia.

People here blame the swift loss of the region on the SBU, Ukraine’s intelligence service. Ivan Bakanov, a long time friend of Zelenskyy, had no security experience when he was fired in July.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/20/1158150926/volodymyr-zelenskyy-president-ukraine-russia-war

Alina Fialko-Smal, Zelenskyy, and the early history of the Russian-Israeli-Russian-American War

She says that he’s a good president during war. “He’s not a very good president during a non-war period. His greatest weakness is that he distrusts people who are his friends, and he does not tolerate differing opinions.

Alina Fialko-Smal was an actor there at the time. Zelenskyy used to watch her troupe perform and was interested in becoming a dramatic actor. She discouraged Zelenskyy, who is under 5-foot-6.

Zelenskyy’s father is a renowned educationalist and he studied law at the economic institute. Volodymyr is remembered as a clever, funny and self-assured person by a finance professor.

He replied that he would be proud that he learned from his teacher.

The collapse of the Soviet Union made it possible for you to create something new. I believe Zelenskyy’s one of those people. They think that you can create anything, which is a good thing.

“He identifies himself with the people, or he identifies himself with the people through his own actions.” And I think this is the most important thing.”