Russian Soldiers and the Mortal Enemy in the Ukraine: The Cold War Between the West and the U.S., Revealed by the Sunday Evening News of the Week

Mr. Dugin sought to cast victory in Ukraine as essential to Russia’s survival in an existential battle against the West, which he referred to as a “mortal enemy.”

On Russia’s flagship Sunday political show, “News of the Week,” on Channel 1, the fall of Lyman wasn’t even mentioned until after more than an hour of laudatory coverage of Russia’s growth from 85 to 89 regions in an annexation most of the world views as illegal.

A day earlier, two powerful Putin supporters railed against the Kremlin and called for using harsher fighting methods because Lyman had fallen just as Moscow was declaring that the illegally annexed region it lies in would be Russian forever.

According to the soldiers interviewed on the Sunday broadcast, they were forced to retreat because they were fighting with NATO soldiers.

“These are no longer toys here. They are part of a systematic and clear offensive by the army and NATO forces,” the unnamed deputy commander of one Russian battalion told the show’s war correspondent, Evgeny Poddubny. According to the soldier, his unit had been intercepting conversations between their soldiers and those of other NATO countries on their radios.

The broadcast seemed to be meant to convince Russians that any hardship they may suffer in the war are to be blamed on the West because they want to destroy Russia.

A far-right thinker whose daughter was killed by a car bomb, was asked by a reporter if Russia is fighting a broader campaign.

Mr. Dugin, like Mr. Putin, has accused Western countries of damaging the Nord Stream gas pipelines, which ruptured after underwater explosions last month in what both European and Russian leaders have called an act of sabotage.

“The West already accuses us of blowing up the gas pipeline ourselves,” he said. We need to understand the scale and extent of the war that we are having with the West. We must join this battle with a mortal enemy who will use any means to stop us and destroy us, including blowing up gas lines.

The nonstop messaging campaign may be working for now. Many Russians feel threatened by the West, said Aleksandr Baunov, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace who is from Russia.

In a post on Telegram, Medvedev – who served as President of Russia between 2008 and 2012 – said: “The Ukrainian state in its current configuration … will pose a constant, direct and clear threat to Russia. The goal of our future actions should be the complete dismantling of the political regime of Ukranian, in addition to protecting our people and borders.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken also spoke with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba on Monday to reiterate US support following the deadly strikes. Zelensky is expected to address the G7 leaders during the emergency video conference that Biden is expected to join.

Pulled together quickly by American and Ukrainian officials over the past 10 days, the wartime visit is meant to demonstrate in stirring fashion the continued American commitment to Ukraine at a moment when Biden’s ability to maintain that support at home and abroad is being tested.

And a second senior administration official provided the following summary of air defense aid provided to Ukraine from the US: “We have transferred more than 1,400 Stinger anti-air systems to Ukraine, as well as air surveillance and multi-mission radars. We helped our Allies to transfer their air defense systems to Ukraine, including Slovakia transferring its critical S302 system in April. The assistance package for Ukraine was announced by President Biden in August and included orders for 8 new NASAMS. We will continue to provide Ukraine with what it needs to defend itself.”

As of a Department of Defense briefing in late September, the US had yet to deliver NASAMS to Ukraine. At the time, Brig. Two systems are expected to be delivered in the next two months, and the other six will arrive at a later date, according to General Patrick Ryder.

Russia launched 84 cruise missiles against targets across Ukranian on Monday according to the General Staff of the armed forces.

Ukrainians are extremely vulnerable in the face of Russian air strikes. In his opinion, this is blackmail of energy by cutting off gas supplies, by shutting off electricity, and by bombing electric substations in Ukranian. He said that Putin’s strategy will cause pain. “When your kids are dying and you don’t have heat, you’re going to keep fighting, even if your economy is in a bad way,” he said. And I think he’s miscalculated on this front.”

Over the past week, Russia has launched a new front with missile strikes on civilian targets in Ukranian cities.

Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy head of Russia’s Security Council, also recently said he thinks Moscow should aim for the “complete dismantling” of Zelensky’s “regime.”

John Kirby, a spokesperson for the National Security Council, said Monday that there will likely be additional support packages for Ukraine announced “in the very near future.”

Kirby told Kate that it was clear that he was feeling the pressure at home and abroad, and that only he could tell how he would react.

Last week, Biden delivered a stark warning about the dangers of Putin’s nuclear threats, invoking the prospect of “Armageddon.” Multiple US officials have said the comment was not based on any new intelligence about Putin’s intentions and Russia’s nuclear posture.

Despite the fact that the war is favored by the Ukrainian government, American and Ukrainian officials say the fighting is likely to continue for months more. The fight could become more difficult in December, if President Putin is willing to escalate the conflict, and the political dynamics could change if energy prices go up.

Zelensky said the prisoner swap was a first step towards an end to the conflict in eastern Ukraine, which had claimed the lives of over 14,700 people, after he attended the summit.

The annual conference in Sea Island, Ga. was hosted by The Cipher Brief and brings together members of the national security community to look at large picture of global security.

A year ago, this conference focused on China. No one spoke about what happened in Ukraine. But this time the theme was the war in Ukraine — where it’s headed, and how it might end.

An official from the office of the president told a conference that a Ukrainian victory on the battlefield is needed to end the conflict.

The leader of Russia is not looking for a way out of the conflict according to a former CIA officer who runs an intelligence project. He said it was the opposite. “Putin’s muscle memory when he runs into an obstacle is to escalate,” said Kolbe. “There’s a lot of tricks he can still pull out to try to undermine morale in Ukraine and in the West.”

This annexation is a huge deal. Dmitri Alperovitch runs a think tank that believes that Putin is betting on staying in Ukraine as president.

“It is basically a metaphor burning of bridges,” said Alperovitch. The war is likely to continue for many months as long as he is in power and has the resources to continue fighting.

At the Georgia conference, in a ballroom filled with experienced national security types, no one suggested the war was near an end. “I do not see any prospects of talks in the near term”, said Paul Kolbe, a former CIA official.

This war began with a Russian invasion in 2014, he noted, and is now as intense as it’s ever been. Greg Myre is an NPR journalist. We recommend you to followgregmyre1.

Two officials familiar with the situation said that Milley isn’t supported by the national security team of the president including Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

According to officials, the result is a growing debate within the administration over whether the recent gains in the battlefield should lead to some sort of negotiated end to the fighting.

The push for peace by Milley has spilled into the public in recent days, just as the country of Ukraine takes back Kherson. Milley spoke at the Economic Club of New York on Wednesday and praised the Ukrainian army, but he said that an full military victory is impossible.

The administration officials were unsurprised by the comments but also worried that the administration appeared to be divided in the eyes of the Kremlin.

Some Biden officials are willing to look into what a diplomacy may look like but most of the top diplomatic and national security officials don’t think that the US should give any sort of leverage to Russia at the table and believe that the Ukrainians should decide when to hold talks.

In internal deliberations, officials said Milley has sought to make it clear that he is not urging a Ukrainian capitulation, but rather that he believes now is an optimal time to drive toward an end to the war before it drags into spring or beyond, leading to more death and destruction without changing the front lines.

But that view is not widely held across the administration. One official explained that the State Department is on the opposite side of the pole from Milley. That dynamic has led to a unique situation where military brass are more fervently pushing for diplomacy than US diplomats.

The US military has dug deep into its weaponry to support the Ukrainians and is currently combing the globe for supplies in order to keep this war going for a long time.

The US intends to buy 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition from South Korean arms manufacturers to provide to Ukraine, a US official said, part of a broader effort to find available weaponry for the high-intensity battles unfolding in Ukraine. As part of the deal, the US will purchase 100,000 rounds of 155mm howitzer ammunition, which will then be transferred to Ukraine through the US.

Zelensky in Kiev, and what he said during his pre-Christmas trip to Kyiv: The greatest public relations coup yet for the comic actor-turned-president

Ned Price wouldn’t say whether the State Department agreed with Milley’s position. Price talked about Zelensky and the US sides with Zelensky, who has said that a diplomatic solution is needed.

Russia will continue to do what it does while we will continue to do what we do. And that is to not be deterred from our support for Ukraine, and for us and Zelensky to not be deterred to travel as he sees fit to advance his people’s interests,” the official said.

Michael Bociurkiw is an analyst in Odesa who works on global affairs. He is a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and a former spokesperson for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. He is a regular contributor to CNN Opinion. His opinions are not those of the commentary. View more opinion at CNN.

Zelensky’s pre-Christmas trip promises to be the greatest public relations coup yet for the media savvy comic actor-turned-president, who has cleverly tapped into the history and patriotic mythology of Western nations in a series of video addresses to lawmakers from war-torn Kyiv. Often, while grateful for outside support, he has seemed to be trying to shame the West to do more and to create a deeper understanding among voters for the trials facing Ukraine.

I witnessed Zelensky driving to the lysée Palace in a modest car, while Putin drove in with an armored limousine. The host, the French President, hugged Putin but did not shake hands with Zelensky.

Fast forward to 2022 and Zelensky is the instantly recognizable wartime president in trademark olive green; as adept at rallying his citizens and stirring the imaginations of folks worldwide, as naming and shaming allies dragging their feet in arming his military.

Failure to demonstrate progress on the battlefield with military equipment could cause unease among Western backers. But capitulation to Russia would be a political death sentence.

Zelensky made his historic trip at a crucial moment in what future generations may come to view as one of the defining conflicts of our time: the battle between democracy and autocracy, in which Ukraine today is the blazing, blood-soaked, shivering front line.

He knew what he needed to do after he was intimidated by Putin, according to Yevhen Hlibovytsky, a former political journalist and founder of the think.

The leader of the US when Russia launched its full-scale invasion quipped, “I need bullets, not a ride.”

Zelensky: After his first nightclub address in Lviv: Bringing out a new look at a former Russian politician and the world

It’s been a long time since Zelensky thanked his supporters in a nightclub after he won the election. He stood on the stage with confetti around him, and he looked as if he had just defeated an older politician.

The war appears to have turned his ratings around. Zelensky had his ratings approve rapidly, and remain high to this day. Even Americans early in the war rated Zelensky highly for his handling of international affairs – ahead of US President Joe Biden.

His bubble includes many people from his previous professional life as a TV comedian in the theatrical group Kvartal 95. The press conference held at the platform of a metro station in April was held during the war, with perfect lighting and camera angles to emphasize a wartime setting.

I remember well the solace his nightly addresses brought during the air raid sirens and explosions in Lviv, because of his skills as comforter in chief.

“By wearing T-shirts and hoodies, the youthful, egalitarian uniform of Silicon Valley, rather than suits, Zelensky is projecting confidence and competence in a modern way, to a younger, global audience that recognizes it as such,” Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell, a fashion historian and author of “Red, White, and Blue on the Runway: The 1968 White House Fashion Show and the Politics of American Style,” told NPR.

“He is probably more comfortable than Putin on camera, too, both as an actor and as a digital native,” she added. “I believe both of them want to come across as relatable, not aloof or untouchable, although Zelensky is definitely doing a better job balancing authority with accessibility.”

Journeying to where her husband can’t, Zelenska has shown herself to be an effective communicator in international fora – projecting empathy, style and smarts. She met with King Charles at a refugee assistance center at the Holy Family Cathedral in London. Zelenska was not included on the cover of TIME magazine, and only a cursory reference was made to her in the text.

Despite the strong tailwinds at Zelensky’s back, there are subtle signs that his international influence could be dwindling. For example, last week, in what analysts called a pivotal moment in geopolitics, the G7 imposed a $60 a barrel price cap on Russian crude – despite pleas from Zelensky that it should have been set at $30 in order to inflict more pain on the Kremlin.

At least 76 missile and drones strikes were conducted on Friday inUkraine, the economy has been crippled by war and attacks on critical power infrastructure. As winter bites, millions of Ukrainians are enduring long periods without heat, electricity and water. (However, indicative of the resiliency that Ukrainians have displayed since the start of the war, many say they are prepared to endure such hardship for another two to five years if it means defeating Russia).

As Zelensky said in a recent nightly video address: “No matter what the aggressor intends to do, when the world is truly united, it is then the world, not the aggressor, determines how events develop.”

President Volodymyr Zelensky’s White House visit Wednesday will symbolically bolster America’s role as the arsenal of democracy in the bitter war for Ukraine’s survival and send a stunning public rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

A White House reception for Zelensky, who sources said was traveling to the US on Tuesday night, will above all be an unmistakable sign of US and Western support for Ukraine’s battle against Putin, who says the country has no right to exist. The war makes Biden’s foreign policy sound like a global struggle between democracy and totalitarianism, which he has put at the center of his policy.

The US would execute the parameters Zelensky determined met his needs and he was very keen to visit the US. On Sunday, the trip was confirmed.

Just ahead of Zelensky’s arrival, the Biden administration announced it is sending nearly $2 billion in additional security assistance to Ukraine – including a sophisticated new Patriot air defense system that Zelensky has been requesting for months.

Unlike smaller air defense systems, Patriot missile batteries need much larger crews, requiring dozens of personnel to properly operate them. The training for Patriot missile batteries normally takes multiple months, a process the United States will now carry out under the pressure of near-daily aerial attacks from Russia.

An official said the US would train Ukrainians to use the system in a third country. CNN has previously reported the training would occur at a US Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany.

The system is capable of defending airspace against incoming missiles and some aircraft, which is considered one of the most capable long-range weapons. Its ability to shoot down Russian missiles and aircraft is a factor it can possibly use to shoot down their intended targets inside Ukraine.

Zelensky’s visit to the US Capitol: The fate of the war on Ukraine in the age of reconciliation, and what Biden wants to do

Zelensky’s arrival will draw poignant echoes of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill’s arrival in Washington, 81 years ago on Thursday, days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. That Christmas visit cemented the alliance that would win World War II and built the post-war democratic world.

His visit is unfolding amid extraordinary security. The speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, wouldn’t confirm the early reports that she would welcome Zelensky to the US Capitol. We just don’t know.”

The US process of matching its aid to the changing strategy of Russia was reflected in the decision on “Patriots”. The system would help Kyiv better counter Russia’s brutal missile attacks on cities and electricity installations, which it has mounted in an effective attempt to weaponize bitter winter weather to break the will of Ukrainian civilians.

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, Wesley Clark said that Zelensky’s trip reflects a critical moment when the destiny of a war that Ukraine cannot win without upgraded US support could be decided before Russia can regroup.

In Washington, Republicans poised to take control of Congress have made clear they won’t rubber stamp each of Biden’s requests for Ukraine assistance – though fears funding will dry up completely appear unfounded. Congress is close to approving nearly $50 billion in additional security and economic assistance.

Zelensky, the English Channel, and the Battle of the Bulge: A Conversation with General Relativity About the 1941 World War in Ukraine

Zelensky was a master of allusion and public relations theater. He argued the war in Ukraine was at a turning point – drawing an analogy to the Battle of Saratoga, a rallying point for an outgunned army against a superpower enemy in America’s revolutionary war. He evoked the heroism of US soldiers dug into freezing foxholes in the Battle of the Bulge during Christmas 1944, which thwarted the last effort by Nazi Germany to repel the allied liberation of Europe. He said that FDR promised a victory for freedom during the war.

“Remember Pearl Harbor, terrible morning of December 7, 1941, when your sky was black from the planes attacking you. Zelensky said to just remember it. “Remember September 11, a terrible day in 2001 when evil tried to turn your cities, independent territories, into battlefields. Even though nobody else expected it, the innocent people were attacked and you couldn’t stop it. Our country is experiencing the same things every day.

The British leader sailed from the English Channel to the United States in a single day, crossing the snow-covered Atlantic on his way to Washington, DC, where he was met by President Roosevelt on December 22, 1941.

Over days of brainstorming and meetings – fueled by Churchill’s regime of sherry with breakfast, Scotch and sodas for lunch, champagne in the evening and a tipple of 90-year-old brandy before bed – the two leaders plotted the defeat of Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan and laid the foundation of the Western alliance that Biden has reinvigorated in his support for Ukraine.

Churchill, who had pined for US involvement in World War II for months and knew it was the key to defeating Adolf Hitler, said during his visit, “I spend this anniversary and festival far from my country, far from my family, and yet I cannot truthfully say that I feel far from home.”

The Ukrainian leader is likely to appreciate the historical parallels. He paraphrased one of Churchill’s most famous wartime speeches in an emotional address to British members of parliament in March.

The Cold War with the West and the Prospects for the Future of the American Air Defense: The Case for Russia, the USA, and the Cold War

The first deliverables are the Patriot missile systems. They are considered as the US’s “gold standard” of air defense. NATO preciously guards them, and they require the personnel who operate them – almost 100 in a battalion for each weapon – to be properly trained.

The second are for Ukrainian jets. Ukraine, and Russia, largely are equipped with munitions that are “dumb” – fired roughly towards a target. Western standard precision cannon and missiles, like Howitzers andHIMArs, have been provided to Ukraine.

But Moscow is struggling to equip and rally its conventional forces, and, with the exception of its nuclear forces, appears to be running out of new cards to play. China and India have joined the West in saying no to the use of nuclear force.

Western analysts have noted that Russia has been complaining about these deliveries, but has not done much in response to the crossing of what were thought to be red lines.

This is not easy. Kevin McCarthy, the likely new Speaker of Congress, warned the Biden administration it would not get a blank cheque from the new House of Representatives.

The remnants of the American first elements of the party doubt how much aid the US should give to eastern Europe.

Realistically, the bill for the slow defeat of Russia in this dark and lengthy conflict is relatively light for Washington, given its near trillion-dollar annual defense budget.

The Night of Nov. 11, 1998: Volodymyr Zelensky and the American War on the Bakhmut Throat

Editor’s Note: Frida Ghitis, (@fridaghitis) a former CNN producer and correspondent, is a world affairs columnist. She is a weekly opinion contributor to CNN, a contributing columnist to The Washington Post and a columnist for World Politics Review. The views that are expressed are not of hers. You can view more opinions on CNN.

Applause erupted in the US Congress, Republicans and Democrats when they got to see Volodymyr Zelensky in person. It was an unforgettable night, capping off one of the most momentous days in history.

He said to the Americans, “Thank you.” And he said it over and over. I hope my words of apology and gratitude trickle down to each American. But that was only the first part of his message to the country that has supplied the weapons that have helped enable Ukraine to push back against a much bigger enemy: Zelensky came to explain why this is not just Ukraine’s fight.

He assured a Congress that their money was not charity and that they would debate billions more in military and economic support. “It is an investment in the global security and democracy, that we handle in the most responsible way.”

Zelensky spoke at a press conference at the White House, saying that they were fighting against tyranny in real life.

Underscoring the point, he said the soldiers fighting in the brutal battle for Bakhmut asked him to give their battle flag – a flag of Ukraine signed by its defenders – as a gift to the U.S. Congress. There were tears in the house.

“I also think no one is asking for a blank check,” Clinton added. I believe the Ukrainians are a good investment for the United States. They don’t need us to fight their war. They are fighting it on their own. They’re asking us and our allies for the means to not only defend themselves but to actually win.”

He said it was “important for the American people, and for the world, to hear directly from you, Mr. President, about Ukraine’s fight, and the need to continue to stand together through 2023.”

“I hope that they will send more than one,” she added. She noted there’s “been some reluctance in the past” by the US and NATO to provide advanced equipment, but added “We’ve seen with our own eyes how effective Ukrainian military is.”

Clinton, who met Putin while he was US secretary of state, said that the Russian leader was difficult to predict as his popularity goes down and the war turns in his favor.

Clinton thinks that Putin is considering using Russian conscripts into the fight in Ukraine, and that is what they will do.

Violations of the Americas: A Brief History of the American Revolutionary War to the Battle of the Bulge in World War II

Shrouded in secrecy until the last minute, the historic visit was heavy with symbolism, from Zelensky’s drab green sweatshirt to President Joe Biden’s blue-and-yellow striped tie to the Ukrainian battle flag unfurled on the House floor.

Zelensky left Washington for a long and risky return trip to Ukraine, but it wasn’t clear if there was any path to ending the conflict.

The new phase is not limited to the battlefield. The impact of Russia’s invading is still being felt around the world. The politicians of Europe and the United States are facing difficulties because of the high prices of energy and food.

But on Wednesday, Zelensky used bellicose rhetoric that suggested such a peace was not close, saying the road to ending the war would not involve making concessions to Russia.

He stated that he doesn’t see a road to peace that involvesUkraine giving up territory or sovereignty.

Later, in his address to Congress, Zelensky said he’d presented a 10-point peace formula to Biden – though US officials said afterward it was the same plan he offered to world leaders at the Group of 20 summit last month.

Zelensky was the one who had to decide how to end the war, according to a long-held view that leaves plenty of questions unanswered.

Zelensky peppered his address to lawmakers with references to American history, from the critical Battle of Saratoga during the American Revolutionary War to the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.

He delivered his address in English, a purposeful choice he telegraphed ahead of the speech. Even his attire – the now-familiar Army green shirt, cargo pants and boots – seemed designed to remind his audience they were in the presence of a wartime leader.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/21/politics/takeaways-volodymyr-zelensky-visit-to-washington/index.html

Zelensky vs Biden: The Last Days of the U.S.-Russia War and the Role of Emotions in the War

Zelensky has demonstrated that he can appeal to an audience in a number of ways during the conflict.

On Wednesday, he sought to harness Americans’ emotional response to his country’s suffering, evoking dark winter nights as Russia seeks to interrupt Ukraine’s power supply.

We will celebrate Christmas with candles. Not because of it being more romantic, but because there will be no electricity. If there is no electricity, we will celebrate Christmas and our faith will not be in danger.

Many Americans, including some Republicans in the Congress, have wondered aloud why millions of dollars were needed for a conflict thousands of miles away. He wanted to bring the cause to more than just his homeland.

Zelensky and Biden gave us a peek into one of the world’s most complicated relationships.

Biden and his team have found that that has sat well with them. Biden was intent on getting a better understanding of his counterpart, something he has been doing with other foreign leaders.

“It is all about looking someone in the eye. I mean it sincerely. He said that sitting down and facing a friend or foe is the best way to look at them.

Zelensky: The Battle of Ukraine for the United States and the First Day in Washington after the 2016 Ukrainian Reionization Summit — CNN’s Meanwhile in America

This story was adapted from the December 22 edition of CNN’s Meanwhile in America, the daily email about US politics for global readers. Click here to read past editions and subscribe.

The fate of millions of Ukrainians was put in the hands of American politicians and taxpayers at a time when there was growing skepticism about the cost of US involvement.

Zelensky handed Pelosi and Harris a flag he got from the battlefront at Bakhmut at his peak speech in the House.

He said that the heroes had asked him to bring the flag to the congressmen who could potentially save millions of people.

After flying to Washington on an US Air Force jet, Putin sent a message of resistance as he tried to convince the people of Russia that he was not going to destroy Zelensky and his nation.

The Ukrainian leader’s hero’swelcome in the chamber suggested they would be shamed if they chose to abandon him.

Zelensky showed that the West is united and that Biden means it when he stated Wednesday that “the conflict on Putin’s terms” is unacceptable, to Europeans, who were already enduring high electricity and heating prices.

Zelensky said that despite US support and the upcoming arrival of high tech weaponry, his nation was still outgunned.

The president has limited the weapons he sends into the battle to balance the need to protect Europe from a disastrous confrontation with Russia and to avoid crossing invisible red lines.

“Now you say, why don’t we just give Ukraine everything there is to give?” Biden said at the White House, explaining that pushing overwhelming force into Ukraine would risk fracturing the transatlantic consensus needed to support the war.

Zelensky had a message for the incoming GOP House majority who were skeptical of the massive aid for Ukraine and the possible new House speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy, who warned again after the speech that he didnot support a blank check for Ukraine.

However, given partisan fury that will erupt in a divided Washington next year, there is no guarantee that America’s lawmakers will even be able to fund their own government – let alone one fighting for its survival thousands of miles away.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/22/world/volodymyr-zelensky-grit-defiance/index.html

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Some members of the House of Representatives who had expressed reservations about aid to Ukraine did not applaud when Zelensky was introduced.