Russia's New Goal: Split Ukraine in Two
As the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues to falter and fail, there has been plenty of talk about just what could constitute a victory for Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin.
At the onset of this desperate debacle, it appeared as though Putin was expecting Kyiv to fall in 72 hours or less. Now, one month into the conflict, Russian troops are actually losing ground to the smaller Ukrainian army – which has been bolstered by the bravery of ordinary citizens in the sovereign nation.
Now, in what appears to be a rather obvious shifting of the goalposts, Moscow may just be looking to split Ukraine in two rather than attempting to conquer it.
Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, predicted that Russia was aiming to split Ukraine into Western and Eastern blocs, similar to how North and South Korea were independently recognized following the Korean War, as ongoing negotiations with Russia have so far failed to reach a conclusion.
“The occupiers will try to pull the occupied territories into a single quasi-state structure and pit it against independent Ukraine,” Budanov said in a statement via the Defense Ministry. The official said Ukraine would continue to fight to defend the regions.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly called on western nation to provide him with military hardware and ammunition, but those requests have not yet been fulfilled to his satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin’s desperate belligerence has been on full display, as the Moscow madman continues to censor news out of Ukraine for fear of his people resign against him.