Russian President Vladimir Putin is not a “sentimentalist” about the massive loss of life his army is facing in Ukraine, and can exhaust Ukraine and the West so they can finally win the war. I believe that
Barnes speaking on CBS “Facing the Country” To “punch a hole in Putin’s arrogance” and regain momentum on the battlefield, he said the United States must provide full material and informational support in the coming months. He said he would try to prolong the war because he was sure he “cannot afford to lose.”
“Putin’s view of Americans, of us, is that we have attention deficit disorder, and will eventually move on to other issues.” Instead of trying to find a way to find an off-ramp, what Putin did is double down.”
Friday marked tough milestones: One year after Russia’s invasion of UkraineDuring this time, the United States pledged about $113 billion in aid to Kiev, more than half of which came in the form of military aid, according to the Pentagon.
Americans are losing interest in providing arms to Ukraine as domestic struggles continue, from rising costs of living to rising refugee arrivals, polls show.
Latest development:
► Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky celebrated the anniversary of Russia’s occupation of Crimea in Ukraine by tweeting: Please return the Ukrainian flag to every corner of Ukraine. ”
►National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan NBC’s “Meet the Press” and other Sunday news programs said the US was supplying parts to Ukraine’s fleet of Soviet-era jets, but the supply of F-16s was “a matter for another day, another phase” of the war. is.
The chairman of the House Foreign Relations Committee, Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCall, wants the Sullivan and Biden administrations to answer questions now and provide Ukraine with long-range missiles. “If you give them something they can actually use and ask for, they win,” he told ABC’s “This Week.”
►NATO could provide Ukraine with 62 German-made Leopard 2 tanks, “then we will see how the course of the war changes,” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said on Sunday. told the Deutschland Funk radio network. Ukraine requested 300 tanks.
Putin accuses the West of trying to destroy Russia
The West wants to get rid of Russia, and if the West succeeds, Russians may not survive as a separate ethnic group, Putin said in an interview on state television on Sunday. Putin accused the United States and its allies of having “the single goal of dismantling the former Soviet Union and its fundamental part, the Russian Federation.”
His pitch that the West is plotting against Russia has been a recurring theme in President Putin’s efforts to quash anti-war dissent.
“There will be Muscovites, Urals and others,” he said of the possible subdivision of Russia into regional groups. The West, he theorized, could only partially accept Russia into the so-called “family of civilized peoples” and split the country apart.
Putin also said Russia’s decision to suspend its participation in the New START nuclear treaty last week was not only due to the nuclear capabilities of the United States, but also those of other NATO countries. While NATO allies are calling for Russia’s defeat in Ukraine, Russia has said it cannot accept US inspections of its nuclear facilities. But he reiterated that Russia has not withdrawn from the agreement, and his foreign ministry said Russia will respect the treaty’s cap on nuclear weapons and will continue to notify the United States of ballistic missile test launches.
Russian drones lose effectiveness, but still useful as decoys
The lack of reports of drones launching strikes in Ukraine since mid-February probably indicates that Russia has run out of Iranian-made weapons, but is likely to order more, British defense said. The ministry said in an update.
Drones were initially effective at damaging civilian infrastructure, but Ukrainians have become adept at shooting down drones, shooting down at least 24 between late January and early February. Yes, the ministry said.
“Although these weapons have no good record of destroying their intended targets, Russia views them as useful decoys that can divert Ukrainian air defenses from the more effective Russian cruise missiles,” the ministry said. It’s very likely,” he said.
The Saudi foreign ministry said representatives from the two countries discussed “opportunities to strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two friendly nations” and ways to support each other in various areas.
“Thank you Prince @FaisalbinFarhan for constructive dialogue and mutual understanding,” Yermak said in a tweet containing a photo of Yermak and Prince.
Ukraine says it has repelled latest Russian push near hotly contested Bahmut
Russian forces have attacked nearly 20 communities near Bakhmut, a city in the Donetsk region and the focus of much of the fighting in recent weeks, Ukrainian forces said on Sunday.
The region is still under Ukrainian and Russian control, with Russia occupying most of Luhansk Oblast. Together they form the East Donbass region, which has become the focus of Putin’s wars.
Weeks of heavy fighting with heavy casualties have barely moved the front lines. Evgeny Prigozhin, owner of the Russian mercenary unit Wagner Group, said his fighters had advanced into a settlement on the northern edge of Bakhmut, but the Ukrainian army disputed the claim, saying that Russian forces He said he was repulsed.
“The enemy continues to attack Ukrainian positions,” the Ukrainian military said. Facebook“Enemy attack failed.”
Saudi Arabia Delivers $400 Million Humanitarian Aid to Ukraine
Saudi Arabia has agreed to provide $400 million in humanitarian aid to Ukraine, Ukrainian and Saudi officials said Sunday.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan led a delegation from the Kingdom to Kiev and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Presidential Palace. The prince also met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Andriy Yermak, the chief of staff of President Zelensky.
Russia claims to have destroyed thousands of Ukrainian tanks
Ministry of Defense of Russia claimed to have destroyed it on Sunday Since the beginning of the war a year ago, it is equipped with 390 Ukrainian aircraft, 211 helicopters, 3,243 drones, 405 airborne missile systems, 8,042 tanks and other armored combat vehicles, and multiple launch rocket systems. 1,045 combat vehicles. The ministry also claimed that 4,222 field artillery and mortar artillery and 8,556 units of his special military vehicles had been destroyed since the invasion began.
The ministry did not estimate the number of Ukrainian soldiers or civilians killed, nor did it announce its own losses.
Contributed by Kim Hjelmgaard USA TODAY; Associated Press