Russia has launched a new offensive in northeastern Ukraine in a border region of the Kharkiv oblast, and the Russian Defense Ministry has reported that its forces have captured nine villages since Friday, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskii has not confirmed the extent of the Russian gains but said his forces were facing an increasingly difficult situation. “This week, the situation in the Kharkiv region has significantly worsened,” he wrote on Telegram on Sunday.
“There are ongoing battles in the border areas along the state border with the Russian Federation … Ukrainian defense forces are doing everything they can to hold defensive lines and positions,” Syrskii added.
Local Ukrainian officials say that at least 4,000 civilians have fled the Kharkiv region since Russia launched the offensive on Friday. Much of the fighting is now centered around Vovchansk, the largest village in the area, which is only about three miles from the Russian border.
Russia’s surprise offensive in the northeast has forced Ukraine to rush reinforcements to the area, straining its defenses in other places where its defensive lines are already at risk of collapsing. The $61 billion in new US spending on the proxy war is not expected to help Ukraine’s chances of victory on the battlefield and will only prolong the war.
I have been reading Scott Ritter,Douglas McGregor and Larry Wilkinson on You Tube. I know the truth when it smacks me in the face. We never had any business in Ukraine and never should have been sending Israel weapons to exterminate the Palestinians. It is obvious that the constant need for military spending to keep the American Empire afloat overcomes all the reason for staying out of things that are not in our best interests. Our ruling class has a failure to read the room as to what the rest of the world is doing and saying.
We lead, we don’t follow.
And those who follow are being led off a cliff.
I don’t think so personally. I’m against war, but war is necessary when countries start redrawing maps, invading sovereign countries and interfering with domestic politics. Putin is a total POS, and he will lose and drag another POS Xi down with him. I’d kill either of them without blinking and feel no remorse.
The USA has a much worse track record in this regard than either Russia or China. I suggest you take the plank out of your own eye before you point out the speck in your neighbor’s.
They are closed societies what are you even talking about?
But somehow they can’t seem to slaughter as many innocent civilians as the U.S.
I disagree, due to thier closed societies and state controlled medias, their slaughtered lives aren’t tracked the same. Now we can agree, the United States has slipped terribly with freedom of press in the past 25 years, but it’s still light years better than the countries you seem to support and have so much love for. After all, you can’t solve problems unless you talk about them right? It’s why we’ve survived this long.
“invading sovereign countries and interfering with domestic politics.”
Damn, and who does that more than the US? NO ONE.
China
Not even CLOSE. What rock are you living under?
Has it occured you that the US has intel that you don’t. And they forcing Russia to deplete it’s resources so they are weakened and can’t attack Europe?
Anybody who thinks Russia is going to attack Europe is a blooming idiot.
Interesting propaganda. Seeing Russia just threatened London and France with nuclear holocaust.
And if they don’t have “intel”, they have a record of “cooking” it to fit their course of action.
Don’t they all? I mean this country’s foreign policy is run by the CIA and CFR. The president doesn’t make the policies, he’s just a cog in the wheel. It’s why we’ve had the same neocons running our foreign policies through at least the last 4 presidents. But in any event peace takes diplomacy, and diplomacy is dead. It’s a shame, I do have concern for the next generation, and the state of the planet they will inherit.
You’re like the poster child for how good the propaganda machine works.
Takes one to know one, I’m just balancing out all the anti American traitors on here that love Putin and Xi.
Traitors? You have to be kidding. Anti-hegemon is not anti-American. In fact being against standing armies and war is even more American than apple pie. Read some history. I suggest you start with the federalist papers. Please get back to me when y0u are up to speed on who the real traitors are and what they are betraying.
so according to you… putin and xi are against standing armies and war?
Man, this is like free comedy!
No, where did I say that?
The real Frank Rizzo would find you a disgrace
Good, he was a fascist pig.
He kept Philly from becoming the unruly zoo run by animals that it is now, so call him whatever you want.
I’m not the one spewing MSM nonsense, that would be you.
Russia produces as many tanks in one month as the U.S. and NATO does in a year. Russia isn’t listening to D.C. lies any longer, they are prepared for whatever moves the U.S. and European nations make. Ukraine has been destroyed; the West has lost. The longer they keep denying reality, the more people will needlessly die.
If you says so, Russia’s economy is unsustainable. And we aren’t at war yet, remember who won the war of attrition in WWII. The United States can build factories again, and will now that China has started redrawing maps spying on everyone and trying to divide us by controlling the media. We’ll let Russia exhaust their resources in Ukraine, and put them to shame with their antiquated 2nd tier equipment when we join the fight.
United States didn’t win jack. WW2 ended when. soviets planted their flag on top of the Reichstag , while U.S. and allied forces were drinking Champagne in France and eating Pasta Carbonara in Italy. Operation Omaha was one of the worst beach landings compare to Utah, Sword, Juno and Gold. U.S. since WW2 has attack and occupied 3rd world developing countries. If that’s your idea of winning, I got a bridge to sell you.
We won . Get over it.
Do you see Americans going to Russia to live in the last 60 years to have a better life the only people that won in Russia are Putin and his oligarchs
And somehow that means America “won” WW2?
It means Americans, won WWII. Russia’s weathy power brokers won WWII. Their citizens are accustomed to being mistrated, locked into a life without opportunity for the majority and an all powerful central state that dominates thier lives. Something I’ve had many family members fight to the death to preserve in America. We dont need mandatory service in this country, people that want to preserve our way of life or find an opporunity to make their own life that come from poverty join the fight for free. I mean WWIII is almost inevitable at this point, very tragic. Russian and China are showing no interest in playing by the rules set to prevent another world war after WWII. They are blatantly pissing on them. And I know, the rich A holes that run America, have been too. I try to vote them out, whenever possible But absolute power corrupts and we’ve also had Russian and China corrupting our officials. So here we are.
Their citizens are accustomed to being mistrated, locked into a life without opportunity for the majority and an all powerful central state that dominates thier lives.
And our congress just renewed a law that allows our government to spy on your ass any time they damn well please. And they are trying to take away our first amendment rights as we speak.
We dont need mandatory service in this country, people that want to preserve our way of life or find an opporunity to make their own life that come from poverty join the fight for free.
Wait, we have poverty? And people join the military to escape that? Does that explain , in part, why we don’t need mandatory service?
Russian and China are showing no interest in playing by the rules set to prevent another world war after WWII.
And those rules would be that only the US can have 800 – 1000 bases sprawled across the world. And never mind if they encroach your (Russia and China) borders. Those rules?
They are blatantly pissing on them.
See above. Who is pissing on who?
And I know, the rich A holes that run America, have been too.
And then after all that, you contradict yourself. A holes run this country just like A holes run Russia and China.
Yes, and I am well aware that out own country is also slipping into it’s own form of authoritarianism and very concerned about it. Technology has allowed the wealthiest around the world to destroy the balance of power and disenfranshise the poor. I don’t care to change how Russia or China governs it’s citizens, but I sure as hell, don’t want them governing mine. Corporate power and greed have eroded our liberties and political representation. I can vote, protest (for now) and speak freely about it. So there is a major difference despite our decline.
Changing the subject, doesn’t change the fact about who won WW II. But while on the new subject, it appears Ed Snowden and Tara Reade are setting examples for the next 60 years.
The Russians certainly played a key part in defeating Germany in WWII, I don’t disagree. To say they won without our help or involvement is a bit disingenous. They were fighting for their lives, we were fighting for the free world. So different circumstances. Had Hitler not been so arrogant and expanded the front too far in the Winters, the results may have well been much different for the USSR. So I wouldn’t toot that horn too proudly.
The Russians entered Berlin and soaked 300 thousand lives within hours, while U.S. and allies were selecting French Whores. Yes, Key part.
You are woefully ignorant and dangerous.
to be quite fair russian arms are second rate…
except for like the S-400 and S-500 Triumf missiles. Those are beasts. Also the kinzhals.
The best Way to resolve our differences is diplomacy. The only hand Putin has to play is nuclear and if it goes nuclear, it’s game over for all of us
diplomacy should mean Ukraine giving up no land
But russia would never agree to that
so no diplomacy although it’d be nice
Ukraine is going to have to give up land, if they don’t they are going to lose their country permanently. I do agree that this is not all on Putin. Perhaps Victoria Nuland should have just said F the EU and considered their long term security and energy. Their reliance on Russian Energy was certainly a problem, but one for them to sort out.
mhm
Have you been saying this over and over for 27 months, or for not quite as long, in hope that wishing will make it so? Have you tried wearing ruby slippers and clicking the heels together before saying it? Maybe that will help.
And Bill we aren’t making any moves. The dumbest thing we did was allow the Neocons to incite a riot to over throw the pro Russian government of Ukraine. They should have been well aware of the dangers of stepping to far into the Baltic states as they over encroached on the agreed terms of NATO. The United States is most certainly not innocent. But better minds have to come to reason here. It’s a shame we don’t have leaders interested in peace.
I’ve been reading and listening to Brian Berletic, John Mearsheimer, Volodymyr Ishchenko, Ivan Katchanovksi, Ben Abelow, Nicolai Petro, Jacques Baud, and others and I come to similar conclusions as Wendell.
if you support Putin then go to Russia.
No no no, I have to stay on topic
I hate when people whine about prolonging the war.
I don’t know if it has occured to you people, but those are RUSSIAN TANKS entering Ukraine. Not NATO TANKS https://www.google.com/imgres?q=russian%20tanks%20entering%20ukraine&imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.wsj.net%2Fim-529483%2F%3Fwidth%3D1280%26size%3D1.33333333&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Frussia-says-it-controls-mariupol-but-ukrainian-troops-hold-out-in-steel-plant-11650541039&docid=Wv8_cqpsX9iROM&tbnid=FX2h5kNe_Y0LSM&vet=12ahUKEwjn1_ry64uGAxU6STABHfARBUcQM3oECDsQAA..i&w=1280&h=960&hcb=2&ved=2ahUKEwjn1_ry64uGAxU6STABHfARBUcQM3oECDsQAA
So many of you anti war people support Putin’s war of conquest against Ukraine and then when people complain you pull out the ‘Well actually if Ukraine got a truce this would all be over.’
That is letting Putin achieve his goals, and Putin is an invader. Anti-War people support Ukraine
PUTIN started the war, so he can end it just as easily
Anti-war people oppose war.
Some people twist themselves into pretzels trying to be anti-war while at the same time support one warring group over another (that is, supporting war).
I don’t see how that can ever work, but I guess maybe there are strategies for living with the cognitive dissonance and personal shame involved.
anti-war people are supposed to be for peace, yes, but that doesnt mean they should nonchalantly support the aggressor because you don’t like the defenders’s policies
Correct, except that you left the “s” off the end of “aggressors.”
compared to how ethnic ukrainians are treated in russia versus ethnic russians in ukraine…
Ukraine is an angel
Other than that Ukraine is not an aggressor
The Ukrainian regime is an aggressor against “its own people,” enslaving many for use as soldiers, outlawing political opposition, seizing control of the press, etc.
It also invaded two seceded republics, kicking off eight years of low-intensity war before Putin put the conflict on steroids.
yes… seceeded countries… FROM THEIR OWN INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED LAND
also, russia is doing the same thing, in case your right eye is blind
Opposition is fake except for that one person who was even still kinda pro-Putin
All media is controlled…
No right to a fair trial, opposition is imprisoned and tortured at the Arctic Circle
Have you seen the videos of Russian police arresting people laying flowers for Navalny? (RIP)
I’m well aware of Russian authoritarianism.
I don’t see it as any different in kind than Ukrainian authoritarianism or American authoritarianism.
A pox on all their houses.
ok
cognitive dissonance? Russia STARTED THE WAR and you support Russia so you are clearly PRO-WAR
The only place I support Russia is in your imagination. I oppose both regimes. I just support their victims.
And antiwar people have enough brains to realize that “supporting Ukraine” means more dead Ukrainians and more land and infrastructure destroyed. It would be different if the support were enough for Ukraine to be successful but those supporting them are only interested in their own asses and could care less about the fate of the average Ukrainian or Ukraine’s land and infrastructure. I guess you haven’t been paying attention to the rhetoric coming out of Washington and how this war is to weaken Russia without getting in a direct war with them. And if the US/NATO would have been willing to negotiate Russia’s legitimate security concerns, then those Russian tanks would have never crossed the border. But looking at this war realistically means one is a Putin stooge. When in doubt revert back to that.
putin has lied his way through diplomacy through the last 24 years
at 1st it was ok
but putin broke minsk
and anti-war people are also smart enough to realize that putin only wants MORE dead ukrainians. he wants to eliminate the idea of a Ukrainian people and state. Hes admitted to it
Never mind NATO encroachment. That didn’t happen. And the US/NATO refused to even talk before the invasion. Dismissed Russia’s security concerns “out of hand”. Merkle admitted that the Minsk agreements were a ploy to give Ukraine time to build up their military. And you completely ignored the fact that the US has repeatedly said they will not get in a direct war with Russia. I guess you are like the US when they encouraged Ukraine to do their counteroffensive with no air support and said they were counting on Ukraine’s “hope and courage” to carry the day. This was after the US admitted they wouldn’t do a counteroffensive themselves WITHOUT air support. Or how they said Ukraine was “casualty adverse” because they were bitching about not having any mine clearing equipment and had to send soldiers through heavily mined areas. It’s noble that you back the country that was invaded but you ignore the reality of the situation and put the blame on Putin as if that will change the reality. It’s either full blow war or diplomacy and Ukraine comes out less than whole. I can’t help it if that’s the reality of the situation and I won’t cheerlead for more death because of some ridiculous notion that Putin wants to take over Europe. The US is using Ukraine as fodder. Put the blame where it belongs.
Europe’s wars are our wars. We learned that during the world wars. A strong Europe is good.
If I became president, I would sanction russia to the dirt even more and make military bases in the Baltics
And maybe give stuff to Ukraine. Only basic stuff, not ATACMS.
Furthermore, Ukraine is not fodder. They are a people being used as a front for Russian aggression
It is a shame we have lost sympathy for the Ukrainian people and nation
Russia has publicly admitted to their EUropean ambitions you choose to selectively ignore it
Russia has already been sanctioned “to the dirt”. The original plan was to destroy them economically so they couldn’t wage war. It didn’t work. And putting bases on their doorstep is what produced this mess in the first place.
Giving “stuff” to Ukraine is what the US has been doing for the last 2+ years and that didn’t work either.
The US is using Ukraine as fodder. The stated goal of weakening Russia AND avoiding direct war with Russia couldn’t be a better example of them being used as fodder. It has also been a “great investment” as the likes of Graham and Romney have blurted out loud.
I, for one, haven’t lost sympathy for the Ukrainian people. That’s why I no longer want them sacrificed by those who DON’T have sympathy for the Ukrainian people. Wanting them to fight a war of attrition against a country with 3 times the population is anything but having sympathy. But we’ll show Putin. Right on down to the last Ukranian if they remain willing to die for US.
And what are Russia’s European ambitions? Every military operation they have done has been limited in scope. That bullshit is brought up every time the provocations that preceded this war are mentioned as a way to demean them and make it all about Putin.