in just one day… Is Kiev about to capitulate?

For months it was the southern front, that of Donetsk and Donbass, that raised fears of the worst in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. And the defense of a village like Bakhmut, probably unknown to most people even within the country, was considered the tip of the balance for the outcome of the war, in a region where Russians and Ukrainians were playing each other even before it began official of the war clash in February 2022.

But for a few days, and precisely since May 10, the attention of everyone, fighters and observers, has suddenly shifted north, along the border line between the two countries, which Moscow’s forces have broken through in several points, penetrating in Ukrainian territory and arriving with ground troops a few kilometers from the city of Kharkiv. In a single day, May 12, the Russians conquered more Ukrainian territory (in square kilometers) than they had ever done in 24 hours since the start of the conflict, pushing Kiev to evacuate thousands of people (about 8 thousand civilians) from areas that suddenly found themselves under Russian occupation.

THE WITHDRAWAL

The Ukrainian army announced that it had withdrawn from some areas of the northern front: «Near Lukyantsi and Vovchansk, in response to enemy fire and an infantry assault, our units maneuvered towards more favorable positions to save the lives of our soldiers and avoid losses” declared the Ukrainian General Staff, assuring however that “the battle continues”. But the situation is, for the fate of the conflict, as dramatic as it has rarely been. So much so that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky canceled his trip, scheduled for the next few days, to Portugal and Spain, the latter country with which he was supposed to sign a bilateral security agreement.

The turning point in the field was confirmed yesterday by the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin at the end of the first meeting with the military leaders after the replacement of Defense Minister Sergej Shoigu with Andrej Belusov. «Military activities proceed according to the plan approved and prepared by the command and the General Staff and all assigned tasks are fulfilled. The Russian Armed Forces are daily improving their position in Ukraine in all sectors and the objectives are gradually being achieved,” Putin explained on the eve of today’s trip to the People’s Republic of China, during which he will meet President Xi Jinping. The Kremlin leader noted that “the more effective the work on the contact line, the greater the chances of peacefully resolving the situation in Ukraine.”

Ukraine, meanwhile, has started new pressure on the United States to convince the Biden administration to lift the ban on using American-made weapons to strike on Russian territory. politici.com writes, claiming that a group of deputies from the Verkhovna Rada (the ruling Servant of the People party) are in Washington these days. “The main problem right now is the White House’s policy of limiting our ability to strike military targets inside Russia,” said David Arakhamia, the party’s chairman.

According to the American news site, the Ukrainians are trying to gain support from the US Congress to put pressure on the White House in turn. But President Joe Biden’s administration does not appear willing to change his position. The American Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, reiterated this yesterday but from Kiev, stating that «we do not encourage or make possible attacks outside Ukraine» and that «Ukraine must make decisions alone on how to conduct this war.” These are words that imply the confirmation of the line taken so far by Washington in the supply of weapons to support Kiev’s war effort: weapons for the defense of the Ukrainian territory and its inhabitants from Russian attacks, but not for attacks on the territory of Moscow, as Kiev would like. “We provide assistance for defense, not for offensive operations on the territory of the Russian Federation,” an anonymous US official said.

SUPPLIES COMING SOON

Blinken, however, announced the immediate sending of military aid for another 2 billion dollars: «We are speeding up the shipment of ammunition, armored vehicles, missiles, air defenses to arrive at the front to protect soldiers and civilians from this renewed, brutal Russian massacre.” The US Secretary of State stressed that the provision of air defenses is “the main priority”. Blinken spoke alongside the Ukrainian Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, who for his part thanked the US Secretary of State for the 61 billion dollar aid package finally approved by Congress in Washington and reiterated how his presence in Kiev «sends a clear message to the Ukrainian people». Kuleba also said the talks covered not only weapons and ammunition, but also the speed of these supplies. “The weapons must arrive quickly so that we can disrupt Russia’s offensive plans and prevent its aggressive designs against the rest of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic community.”