Ukraine is wary of Putin’s visit to Belarus
2022.12.19 01:52
Ukraine is wary of Putin’s visit to Belarus
Budrigannews.com – As Russian President Vladimir Putin traveled to Belarus and Russian troops there were getting ready to conduct exercises, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy stated that Ukraine was prepared for all possible defense scenarios against Moscow and its ally Belarus.
Kyiv officials have been warning for months that Belarus could join Russian forces and launch a new attack to form a second front in the war that has been going on for months.
Following a meeting of Ukraine’s top military command on Sunday, Zelenskiy stated, “Our constant priority is protecting our border, both with Russia and Belarus.” We are getting ready for any and all defense scenarios.”
Putin will make his first trip to Belarus in three and a half years on Monday, describing it as a broad “working visit” with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko.
One of Russia’s closest allies, Belarus allowed its territory to be used as a launchpad for Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 but has not directly participated in the fighting. Lukashenko has repeatedly stated that he does not intend to send troops into Ukraine.
Zelenskiy stated, “this will not help them, just like all the other sick ideas in this war against Ukraine and Ukrainians.” Regardless of what Lukashenko might be persuaded to do for Russia.
Russian soldiers that were moved to Belarus in October will direct brigade strategic activities, the Russian Interfax news organization detailed, refering to the Russian safeguard service.
When and where the exercises will take place in Belarus were not immediately clear.
The Ukrainian capital’s military administration reported that nine Iranian-made Shahed drones were shot down in Kyiv’s airspace early on Monday, confirming that Kyiv and the surrounding areas were the targets of yet another attack.
Oleksiy Kuleba, governor of the Kyiv region, stated on Telegram, “Air defense systems are working in the region.” Until the alarm goes off, stay in safe places and shelters. Take care of your loved ones and yourself.”
It was unclear at the time whether the loud blasts were caused by drones striking their targets or by air defense systems destroying the drones.
Zelenskiy reiterated on Sunday his call for Western nations to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses in response to Russian air strikes on the country’s energy network for weeks as a bitter winter approaches.
Following a massive missile attack on the electricity infrastructure on Friday that resulted in the deaths of three people and caused damage to nine power facilities, Zelenskiy stated that power had been restored to three million additional Ukrainians within the previous 24 hours.
“Power supplies have been reestablished to a further 3,000,000 Ukrainians,” he said. ” plus six million the day before. This indicates that nine million of our people have already received results since the terrorist attacks on Friday.
Tens of thousands of people have died in the conflict, and millions more have been forced from their homes.
Zelenskiy informed Ukrainians that the armed forces were resolute in the town of Bakhmut, which has been the site of the bloodiest fighting in the country in many weeks as Russia tries to advance in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine.
He stated, “The battlefield in Bakhmut is crucial.” We control the town, despite the fact that the occupiers are doing everything in their power to destroy every wall.
According to Denis Pushilin, the Russian-installed administrator of the Moscow-controlled portion of the Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces shelled a hospital in the city of Donetsk, killing one person and injuring a number of others.
Putin describes what he refers to as Russia’s “special military operation” as a turning point in history when Moscow finally stood up to a Western bloc led by the United States that wanted to destroy Russia in order to take advantage of the Soviet Union’s fall in 1991.
The West and Kiev claim that Putin has no justification for the so-called imperial-style occupation war that has given Russia control of about a fifth of Ukraine.
As secretary of state in the 1970s, Henry Kissinger was one of the architects of the Cold War policy of detente with the Soviet Union. He stated that the time had come for a negotiated peace.
Kissinger wrote in The Spectator magazine, “The time is approaching to build on the strategic changes that have already been accomplished and to integrate them into a new structure toward achieving peace through negotiation.”
The proposal was rejected by Ukraine because it amounted to sacrificing a portion of the country to appease the aggressor.
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“The obvious should be kept in mind by all supporters of simple solutions: Mykhailo Podolyak, an aide to the Ukrainian president, stated on Telegram that “any agreement with the devil – a bad peace at the expense of Ukrainian territories – will be a victory for Putin and a recipe for success for autocrats around the world.”
Late on Sunday, representatives of the Kremlin were not available for comment.
