In his first major interview since his release, Viktor Bout, whom the US claimed was an arms dealer, spoke to RT on Saturday. Bout was returned to Russia in a high-profile prisoner swap for basketball player Brittney Griner on Thursday. During the conversation, the businessman revealed his techniques to stay …
Read More »Russia, Ukraine and the West: As winter arrives on the battlefield, what will happen next in the conflict?
The battle for Kherson that we discussed in our last article ended in Ukraine’s favor – but with a small twist: there was no actual battle. For three weeks, Russia evacuated not only residents who wished to leave the city – and the right bank of the Dnieper River – …
Read More »Dmitry Trenin: A confession from Putin suggests that the Ukraine conflict could last for years
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin commented, during a meeting with soldiers’ mothers, that he now regards the Minsk agreements of 2014 and 2015 as a mistake. This concession makes a powerful contribution to the possibilities of peace negotiations to end the fighting in Ukraine. It is worth remembering that in 2014, …
Read More »‘Battlefield’ won’t decide Russia-Ukraine conflict – Türkiye
Russia and Ukraine will inevitably have to sit down at the negotiating table to resolve the ongoing conflict, Türkiye’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu told a conference on Wednesday. Military action won’t bring about its end and will only prolong the hostilities, he added. “One way or another, this war will end …
Read More »Rhymes from the frontlines: How the Ukraine conflict has inspired a new wave of patriotic poetry in Russia
While the international media focuses on the battlefield, Russia’s military operation in Ukraine is having a broader effect domestically. Another “front” has opened in the cultural sphere, and this will have long term consequences. Poets, artists, and singers from all walks of life have embraced the realities of the conflict. …
Read More »Ukraine conflict faces ‘inflection point’ – Belarus
A pivotal moment in the Russia-Ukraine conflict will occur in the coming months, Ivan Tertel, the head of the State Security Committee of Belarus (KGB), has said. Russia launched its military operation in the neighboring country in February. “If the Russian Federation properly conducts mobilization, ensures that its military force …
Read More »Ukraine conflict, energy crisis and ‘colonial’ West: Putin’s latest press conference
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to the media on Friday following the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Earlier, he met with the leaders of China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Mongolia. In his first press conference since July, the president was asked about …
Read More »Dmitry Trenin: Six months into the conflict, what exactly does Russia hope to achieve in Ukraine?
Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin referred to Ukraine as an “anti-Russian enclave” which has to be removed. He also said that the Russian soldiers taking part in the military operation there were fighting for their “own country.” These statements carry important implications. Over the last six-plus months, the mantra …
Read More »How some Western ‘fans’ of Ukraine are turning the conflict into a paid-for blood sport
For many Westerners, watching the conflict in Ukraine is a lot like watching a spectator sport. It’s a mindset exacerbated by the bombardment of pro-Ukrainian propaganda in the media, through the mythmaking of fictional Ukrainian superheroes and the dehumanization of Russians – including civilians. And now, that indulgence in violence …
Read More »Ukraine conflict will be over soon – Belarusian president
The denouement in the Ukraine conflict is coming soon, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has predicted, alleging that there are tensions emerging between the country’s armed forces and its civilian leadership. Speaking on Thursday during a virtual class for all Belarusian school and university students, Lukashenko said that “Ukraine is …
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