Kyiv says it has liberated four villages - the first since President Zelensky announced the offensive.
  • Ukraine says it has liberated four villages in the south-east, calling these the first settlements won back from Russia since Kyiv’s counter-offensive began
  • On Monday morning, officials reported that “the national flag is once again waving” over Storozhove, in the Donetsk region
  • A day earlier, footage showed Ukrainian troops celebrating in Blahodatne and Neskuchne - and a minister said nearby Makarivka was also taken
  • The settlements are relatively small - and Moscow is yet to confirm any retreat
  • The Institute for the Study of War backs up Kyiv’s claims, saying Ukraine captured “multiple settlements” along the frontline over the weekend
  • On Saturday, President Zelensky acknowledged that the long-awaited counter-offensive was under way
  • freagle
    25·
    1 year ago

    Occam’s razor cuts well on the two “possible” viewpoints of this war.

    You really need to stop sniffing your own farts.

    Every world leader and military strategist since the 1930s has understood Ukraine to be critical to the national security of Russia. That’s why the Third Reich invaded Russia across the Ukrainian border. When the USSR was being dismantled, all world leaders understood Ukrainian neutrality to be a critical component of Russian national security. It was openly discussed. It’s been a known component of international security for decades.

    And yet, when we got access to leaks, we learned that simultaneously while NATO was telling Gorbie that Ukraine would remain neutral, Clinton was working internally to figure out to get NATO to establish presence in Ukraine. Despite Russia telling NATO and the world that Ukraine is critical to their national security, the war machine just kept on rolling. Despite Russia not reacting to all other border occupations by NATO in the Baltic states, this was the one red line that everyone knew about publicly that would tip Russia over the edge.

    And that’s exactly what happened. The idea that NATO wasn’t threatening Russia because it wasn’t physically installed yet is such a ridiculous point. Are you proposing that Russia would only have a casus belli after NATO finished installing nuclear capabilities? Are you proposing that Russia should wait until NATO is ready to fight before choosing to fight?

    It’s clear that you’ve only read analysis from the last year and only from Western sources. Just go read about this history from the 90s. Actually engage with the historical context here.