- Kyiv has insisted all its borders must be restored, While many analysts have suggested Ukraine may ultimately have to accept some loss of territory to end the conflict.
- “Putin does not want to negotiate, he is happy with war – it helps him maintain his power,” Mr. Gerashchenko explained.
- The US is set to announce another $200m of support for Ukraine as soon as today after fixing an accounting error, according to officials.
- Ukraine has been calling for more Western weapons to be delivered quickly to keep up its fight against Russia.
- Ukraine uncovers ‘network of female Russian agents’ in Donetsk, three of them have been arrested, while a fourth is said to have left for Russia.
While many analysts have suggested Ukraine may ultimately have to accept some loss of territory to end the conflict, Kyiv has insisted all its borders must be restored. One scenario that hasn’t been discussed as openly is Ukraine regaining control of the Donbas and its Black Sea territory, and even Crimea, and yet the war rumbles on.
Anton Gerashchenko, a prominent adviser to the Ukrainian government, tweeted last night: “Getting to the borders of Ukraine in 1991 does not necessarily mean either an end to the war nor a victory. It rather means moving on to new lines of contact.”
Ukraine was declared independent in 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In 2014, Crimea was illegally annexed by Moscow, while Russian-backed separatists were active in the Donbas long before the war.
During the current conflict, Russia has again illegally declared Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia as its own. “Putin does not want to negotiate, he is happy with war – it helps him maintain his power,” Mr. Gerashchenko explained.
Putin is 70 years old and can stay in power for a long time. His position is very strong now, he has completely destroyed the opposition and has the real support of the Russian people. There are no signs that the regime can change. Russia has now turned into a totalitarian state that carries out repressions and passes the necessary laws without regard for the public. Putin, with his current propaganda machine, can explain/justify anything to his population, Mr. Gerashchenko explained
Mr. Gerashchenko explained that A true Ukrainian victory will mean that Russia is no longer a threat to us – neither imminent nor in a long-term perspective. To achieve this, Russia needs to undergo a huge transformation, which can start with the changing of Putin’s regime.
The US is set to announce another $200m of support for Ukraine as soon as today after fixing an accounting error, according to officials. Joe Biden’s administration will start to dish out $6.2bn of funds discovered after a mistake over-valued billions of Ukraine aid, two officials have said.
The Pentagon announced it had mistakenly assigned a higher-than-warranted value to the US weaponry already to Kyiv back in May. Mine clearing equipment, anti-tank weapons, guns, ammunition, air defence interceptors, anti-tank missiles, and guided multiple launch rocket system rockets are expected to be included in the package.
Ukraine has been calling for more Western weapons to be delivered quickly to keep up its fight against Russia, and progress in its counteroffensive – which has been criticized for not yielding results quickly enough.
Ukrainian authorities say they have uncovered a network of women in the Donetsk region who they claim are Russian agents. The women allegedly worked both for Russia’s federal security service and the Wagner group, collecting intelligence on Ukrainian military equipment in the region. Police say the women focused on gathering information on attack helicopters and heavily armored vehicles for transporting Ukrainian troops and took photos for Moscow.
Three women in the network have been arrested, while a fourth is said to have left for Russia soon after the start of the invasion. All four were residents of the Pokrovskyi district, just northwest of the city of Donetsk, which remains under Russian occupation. If convicted, they face life in prison.
(With inputs from agencies)
