British political scientist Mark Galeotti claims that the loss of Pokrovsk cost Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy more than Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. According to him, "the next campaign may not take place in northeastern Ukraine, but in Washington."
The loss of Pokrovsk cost Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy much more than it cost Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This was stated by British political scientist, lecturer and author of works on international crime and Russian security issues, one of the leading experts on Russia, Mark Galeotti, for The Sunday Times, reports UNN.
Details
According to him, Pokrovsk is now effectively given to the Russians, as the city is surrounded on three sides, and Russian troops are increasingly penetrating closer to the center.
There is always a temptation to present such a large-scale operation – the battle for the city lasted 18 months – as a turning point in the war. But while it is a defeat for Kyiv, it should not be seen as a decisive turning point. The battle is significant for many reasons, reflecting a change in the operational and political context of this stage of the conflict.
– the article says.
The author indicates that the chances of a Ukrainian counterattack on Pokrovsk itself are currently small.
As the defenses of Pokrovsk and the neighboring city of Myrnohrad crumble, fighting in northeastern Ukraine will continue. The fortress cities of the rest of the Ukrainian part of Donetsk Oblast still stand. Western observers believe that their fall will take longer than Pokrovsk. … However, the next campaign may not take place in northeastern Ukraine, but in Washington.
– Galeotti notes.
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According to him, one of the reasons why Putin was willing to commit 150,000 troops to capture Pokrovsk, suffering tens of thousands of casualties, is that he is involved not only in a war with Ukraine, but also in a "battle of characters" with US President Donald Trump.
President Zelenskyy stated that Russia is afraid of decisive decisions from the US and wants to use Pokrovsk to demonstrate success on the battlefield." This is partly true, but Moscow's intention is probably not so much to avoid new US pressure as to try to regain Trump's support.
– the expert believes.
He concludes that it may seem impossible that Zelenskyy could be forced to conclude the kind of peace agreement that Trump seems to support, but Putin seems to hope that if he can enlist US help, the Ukrainians themselves will hand over the fortress cities to him, and he won't have to fight for them.
Recall
Recently, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russia failed to meet the deadline set by Putin for the capture of Pokrovsk and Kupyansk.
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