This won't happen; they will not fast track Ukraine. I think Zelensky knows that; he just likes to keep the pressure on wherever he can, probably hoping that it can happen when the war is (relatively) over.
It's not even so much the money right now. It's hard to believe but the West is short on rockets and artillery shells, although they are ramping up production. Also Ukraine needs for the USA to trust them enough to give them the longer range rockets that could strike deep into Crimea and attack supply depots and supply lines there. They have even offered to allow USA pre-approval on every strike. USA also has some longer range kamikaze drones that they have been reluctant to share. And some European countries are so scared that russia may attack them next that they don't want to give up any modern weapons.
The longer range rockets are not going to happen. I listened to the Secretary of Defense talk about this. We are super cautious not to widen the war.
Elon Musk suggested on twitter a path to "Ukraine-Russia Peace" that includes re-doing elections "under UN supervision" in the regions of the country recently annexed illegally by Russia, and also suggested making Crimea "formally part of Russia." Majority of voters voted "No" to the poll question, so Musk then seemed to blame the results on a bot attack. Ukraine's ambassador to Germany then writes back, "F--- off is my very diplomatic reply to you".
Day 223. Ukrainian forces have made substantial gains around Lyman and in northern Kherson Oblast. Ukrainian forces made advances on the Oskil River-Kreminna line towards the Luhansk oblast border. Ukrainian forces advanced in northern Kherson Oblast. The Russian troops launched 3 rockets and 12 air strikes, and launched more than 100 MLRS attacks and shelled more than 20 settlements. The US to announce the dispatch of 4 more HIMARS as part of a new $625 million military aid package to Ukraine. The EU signed a memorandum on the provision of 5 billion Euros of macro-financial assistance to Ukraine. France to transfer 20 ACMAT Bastion IMV wheeled armored personnel carriers to Ukraine. The State Duma [the lower chamber of the Russian Parliament] approved the “ratification” of illegal agreements on the inclusion of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts of Ukraine into the Russian Federation. Pentagon warned Russia about the inadmissibility of using nuclear weapons. Russian officials released the director of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant
Because they view asset accumulation as the ultimate goal of every human, thus believing themselves to be superior to every human who has accumulated fewer assets than themselves?
Day 224. Ukrainian army liberates more areas in Kharkiv and Kherson areas. Ukrainian troops liberate 1,534 settlements since the first phase of the invasion endedю Russian soldiers are massively surrendering. A secret poll run by Kremlin proves a negative attitude among Russians to a military call-up. At least 600,000 flee Russia following the military call-up announcement. Sweden sends a diving vessel to probe leaking Nord Stream pipelines. Energoatom looks into restarting reactors at Russian-held nuclear plant. Zelenskyy considers Putin’s orders to be null and void. The new US defense aid package for Ukraine includes 4 HIMARS, 16 155mm howitzers. Finland preparing a new military aid package for Ukraine. Ukraine to receive almost $530M from World Bank.
This is a long article by Tim Snyder, a historian who has spent his life studying, russia, soviet union and eastern Europe, and since I do think this war is the most significant event since WW II, some of you might like to read it. There is so much in it (starting with a discussion on the nuclear threat) that I can't summarize it. I will post this thought though: "In other words: (russian) regime survival has depended upon two premises: what happens on television is more important than what happens in reality; and what happens abroad is more important than what happens at home. It seems to me that these premises no longer hold. With mobilization, the distinction between at home and abroad has been broken; with lost battles, the distinction between television and reality has been weakened. Reality is starting to matter more than television, and Russia will start to matter more than Ukraine." https://snyder.substack.com/p/how-d...ar?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=auto_share
I can tell you that from watching clips of russian tv shows lately, that there has been a big change. They have stopped lying about the war. they are admitting defeats and asking what needs to be done.
Day 225. A new phase of offensive operations in Kherson Oblast continues. Advancing south, Ukrainian units have pushed the front line forwards by up to an additional 20km. The Ukrainian counteroffensive in Kharkiv Oblast is actively pushing into Luhansk Oblast. Russian forces continued ground attacks in Donetsk Oblast. Russian forces conducted the first strike on Kyiv Oblast since June with a Shahid-136 drone. Putin signed a decree to assert full Russian control over the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) and completed the final formality in the process of illegally annexing Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. More than 50 new graves of civilians found in the liberated Liman.
My impression, correct me if I'm wrong, is that while there seems to be a change in how they're reporting about the 'success' of the war, they still seem to be lying about the legitimacy of the war and continue to support it. That's more important IMO. I just read an article of some Russian official who says they need to stop lying about the war, then goes on to perpetuate Putin's narrative of there being Nazi's in Ukraine. In a way it's the same with all these Russians trying to escape mobilization. It's not that they necessarily disagree with the war - they weren't protesting to any significant degree - they just don't want to be effected by it themselves. Big difference in the size/ferocity of the protests in Iran vs. Russia.
