By David Sole
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky appeared delusional in several interviews given in the past few days. Grim reports from all sources show the Ukraine’s armed forces understaffed, exhausted, short of ammunition and retreating under heavy pressure from Russian Federation troops. Zelensky, however, seems oblivious to reality and can only talk about taking back all lost territories in this over 2 year old war.
The British weekly, the Economist, reported on March 25 that “There is an alarming possibility that a big new Russian push in the next few months could punch through Ukraine’s defences and deep into the country…Russian forces have been pressing hard into eastern Ukraine…trying to stop Ukraine from forming stronger defensive lines” after the fall of the fortified town of Avdeyevka in February.
Towns to the west of Avdeyevka are falling to Russian advances one by one. A heavily defended line running from Tonen’ka through Orlivka to Berdychi now has some of Ukraine’s best fighters under siege in Berdychi. All across the 600 mile front line Russian forces are steadily pushing forward.
Unable to win on the battlefields, Zelensky is doing what he has done over and over again – fired his military leaders. The latest of many to go is Oleksiy Danilov, Ukraine’s security council secretary since 2019. The council “co-ordinates national security and contains the country’s top political, security and defense chiefs.” This occurred on March 25.
On the same day “Zelensky’s office confirmed the removal of Serhi Shefir from his position as First Assistant to the President, while three other presidential advisors and two presidential commissioners were also dismissed.”
Talking to the Washington Post Zelensky said “We are trying to find some way not to retreat…we have stabilized the situation because of smart steps by our military.” Zelensky admitted the reality that “we have no air defense, no Patriot missiles, no jammers for electronic warfare, no 155mm artillery rounds.” He pinned his hopes on more U.S. aid and announced that the ATACMS long-range tactical missile systems, with a range of about 180 miles, are “the answer” to turning around Ukraine’s fortunes. But U.S. aid for their Ukrainian proxy has been blocked for months in Congress and, even if another $60 billion is approved, it won’t reach the front for many months.
Talking to CBS News on March 28 Zelensky fantasized that Ukraine will push Russia back from the vast territories it has taken over the past two plus years. “I am sure when he [Putin] loses what he occupied since 2022, he will fully lose the confidence even of those countries which are still in doubt whether they should support Ukraine or not…And he will also lose the power within his country.”
The Kyiv Independent which reported this bizarre delusion then calmly pointed out that “Ukrainian military officials warned that Moscow may be preparing for a new major attack, mustering a force of 100,000 troops.” Of course it is only about 7 months since Ukraine, with massive amounts of Western heavy weapons and large numbers of troops, was crushed in its attempt to carry out an offensive against Russian defense lines. Ukraine’s losses in soldiers and materiel were enormous.
Feeding Zelensky’s fevered dreams may have been the announcements from French President Macron and his top generals that France is not ruling out sending thousands of troops to fight in Ukraine. However this idea immediately came into conflict with French public opinion.
RT, reporting on a story from Le Monde, said “It is ‘extremely unclear’ how France can fulfill promises by President Emmanuel Macron to supply more military aid to Ukraine, as the government in Paris is currently struggling with plans for spending cuts. French authorities are looking to save $10.8 billion this year amid a budget deficit of $156 billion and a 2024 growth forecast reduced to just 1%.”
Voters “cannot understand how the government can provide billions to Ukraine while planning spending cuts at home.” It should be remembered that over the past few years France saw massive upheavals in the streets over budget cuts and reductions of pensions.
Ukraine’s problems are not just on the ground. Russia has been pounding Ukrainian troops, supply depots and military-industrial targets for the past two years. Ukraine’s supply of anti-aircraft missiles is now very low. On March 29 and 30 Russia launched massive waves of subsonic and supersonic missiles as well as drones against Ukraine’s electrical power grid. Agence France-Presse reported on March 29 that the “National grid operator Ukrenergo said its dispatch centre was ‘forced to apply emergency blackout schedules’” in several provinces. Some are speculating that this type of attack which results in electrical blackouts could presage a major ground offensive, possibly in the northeast sector.
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