“We see the Kremlin trying to squeeze any potential for aggression out of Russia,” Zelenskyj said in his evening video message Tuesday. “They are in a hurry because they know that the world is stronger in the end, but it needs time to develop its strength.” That is why it is now important to get help quickly.
At the same time, he thanked for more arms pledges at a NATO meeting a few hours earlier in Brussels. However, from a Ukrainian perspective, there is little further progress regarding the desired delivery of Western F-16 fighter jets. The situation remains extremely tense, especially in the heavily contested eastern town of Bachmut.
The US chief of staff sees a fairly stable front line in Ukraine
US Chief of Staff Mark Milley described the battle for the Bakhmut region in the east of the country as a battle of attrition. There is a lot of violence and fighting, but the front line is fairly stable, Milley said on the sidelines of a NATO meeting in Brussels when asked about the current war situation. “I would describe it as a very big war of attrition with very high losses, especially on the Russian side.”
Selenskyj also spoke of an “extremely difficult” situation in the east of his country. “These are literally fighting for every meter of Ukrainian land.”
According to Milley, the Ukrainians currently hold the fort, while the Wagner group in particular attacks on the Russian side. “There are no advanced maneuvers here. It’s frontal assaults, waves of assaults, lots of artillery with extreme casualties in this area,” he said. How long this will go on is hard to say. It’s been like this for weeks.
The latest news about the war in the live ticker:
US: No new F-16 announcements for Ukraine for now
A possible delivery of Western F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine, meanwhile, remains open, even after the recent meeting of the international contact group for the coordination of military aid. “I have no announcements about this,” US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said after consultations with the so-called Ramstein Group. He wanted to leave it at that.
However, Austin stressed that the US would not ban Poland from supplying Soviet-designed MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. “The United States has never prevented Poland from supplying anything,” he said. This is the decision of the leaders of a country and the US will not and cannot dictate such a thing.
Putin friend Prigozhin defends the work of the Russian troll army
Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Wagner’s private army, has defended his army of internet trolls, which have been criticized in the West for spreading disinformation. He not only invented, founded and funded the Internet Research Bureau, but also ran it himself for a long time, Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin’s confidant, according to the statement. “It was created to protect the Russian information field from the West’s brutal, aggressive propaganda of anti-Russian positions.”
The Wagner boss is currently in the center of attention because he finances paramilitary operations in Ukraine, for example, or in Africa. According to Prigozhin, he published answers to a questionnaire from an international research community of Western journalists, including “Spiegel” and ZDF, and praised the work of patriotic Russian bloggers.
Here’s the detailed story:
What will be important on Wednesday
At the end of their two-day meeting in Brussels this Wednesday, defense ministers from the 30 NATO countries will discuss plans to strengthen the alliance’s deterrence and defense capabilities. In view of Russia’s war against Ukraine, there are plans to increase the number of military personnel on high alert from 40,000 to 300,000. (sda/dpa)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
