The front in Ukraine is stationary. And all the fighting is done in the ‘Control Zone’, ahead of the ‘Surovikin-line’ where the Russians are waiting for the Ukrainians to show up, if they manage to pass the ‘Control Zone’ in sufficient numbers. The only town being threatened is Kupyansk, where the Russians are pushing, and not the Ukrainians. They previously occupied the town, but left it in the Fall of last year, as they prepared for a ‘War of Attrition’ following on the heels of a failed attempt to bring Ukraine to the negotiating table and work out a return to the ‘Minsk Accords’. Though Ukrainian troops did manage to take some territory and ruined hammocks in the ‘Control Zone’ with their ‘Spring Offensive’, holding on to it is another story. And nobody is claiming that this ‘Spring Offensive’ brought the success for Ukraine and NATO they expected.
The former Russian president Medvedev, these days coordinating the industrial output needed for the war effort, predicted this state of affairs could drag on for many years. Which is not necessarily precluding a Russian offensive in the Fall, or somewhere next year, by the time Russia draws the conclusion that Ukraine is ‘out for the count’. Nor does it confirm that Russia is bleeding as heavily as Ukraine is bleeding. It merely underscores that Russia has no ambition whatsoever to take all of Ukraine. Not that they will not add more territory if they feel they have to. But with NATO threatening to keep the fire burning, and Zelensky refusing to talk, there will be a front for years to come. Unless NATO collapses, or ‘cooler heads’ prevail in Washington, London and Brussels, or when some sort of counter-coup in Kiev is successful because the people had enough.
My ‘reading’ of the conflict is that Russia is perfectly capable to prevent surprises from a military point of view. I gather that they will be able to expand the territory they hold today to include all the predominantly ‘Culturally Russian’ Oblasts, from Kharkov to Odessa, leaving Ukraine landlocked, and set up defensive structures along the border, while providing the areas taken from Ukraine with a far better economic outlook than the ‘Collective West’ will be able to provide to what will remain of Ukraine. This remaining ‘rump-state’ may become a lawless, hostile area ruled over by ‘Cartels’, rather than anything resembling a government, very much the way it has been, but worse for the people in many respects. Not just ‘Too Hot to Handle’ for the Russians, but hostile to the ‘Collective West’ as well, since NATO will increasingly be seen as a bunch of ‘BullShitters’ who promised the world, but killed the country, using it merely as fertile ground for their biolab-activity, organ- and human trafficking, corrupt banking practices, proving ground for their weapon systems, and other nefarious businesses.
Let me remind you that though the Poles were quick to embrace this proxy war against the Russians, there is no love lost between ‘Kiev’ and ‘Warsaw’ at the political level. While ‘Warsaw’ is also looking for trillions from the Germans, on top of what they already took from the EU in subsidies, as they challenge the authority of ‘Brussels’ around the clock.
As we speak, the ‘Collective West’ is still in control in ‘Kiev’, even though they claim that certain attacks on Russian soil and European energy infrastructure do not carry their approval. I accept that not all of the leaders of countries in NATO were consulted, yet I think this is merely a ploy to keep the Russians focussed on Ukraine as the main culprit. In my perception, every ‘unorthodox’ move in this war was rubber-stamped by NATO, if the organization didn’t initiate them, or even executed them. Blowing up ‘Northstream’ was NATO, not Ukraine. But solid proof is hard to come by either way, so we have to be careful when pointing fingers. Yet, at some moment in time ‘Moscow’ will feel the time has come to retaliate against NATO countries themselves. Possibly at the same moment when Ukraine understands it has been used. It will not bring Ukraine and Russia together. But NATO will have to watch their ‘six’ when that happens. Compare to what happened with Al Qaeda and the Taliban, our partners in the previous war against the Russians.
So far NATO lived by the ‘wisdom’ that the enemy of NATO’s enemy was their friend. While NATO needs enemies to legitimate its existence. That is not ‘wisdom’, but plain stupid. Deranged. Mental. Certain ‘State Functions’ are supposed to be utterly boring. Being ‘in the Army’, being a ‘Judge’, being a ‘Police Officer’, being a ‘Fire-man’, being a ’Spy’. If they are bored, society is doing fine all by itself. Don’t go and find ‘work’ for these people! Give them their ‘Dinky Toys’, a ‘Playground’, a nice office and cocktail parties, and let them snoop on their partners and kids, with decent pay and a pat on the back. But watch them closely, because they may have this tendency to go and look for excitement, and then you will have to fire them, or take them to the shrink. If you let them have it their way, they will declare biolabs, organ- and human trafficking, corrupt banking practices, and shooting at civilians legal, chasing those who object just to have a ‘larger pool of criminals’ they can hunt. Look around you. What do you see? Who is having the last laugh? How did that happen? Could it be that the ‘Shrinks’ sided with the nutcases to create a bigger market?
Just launched an account at ‘X’, the former ‘Twitter’, under the handle of @realjammerjoh, but I’m reluctant to engage in ‘Twitter-feuds’, so don’t expect too much apart from ‘head-ups’ after posting a new article.