As Putin marks Victory Day, his troops make little gains in Ukraine

“Russia has given a preemptive response to aggression. 

You almost have to admire this Orwellian justification for an unprovoked attack on a smaller neighbour.

As Putin marks Victory Day, his troops make little gains in Ukraine

Good.

Zelensky ask not what the world can do for Ukraine,ask what Ukrainian are gonna do for themselves,he is just delusional as Putin,but not belligerent

Shame on Russia. Russia out of Ukraine now.

Little gains? Yes, everyday a few more villages fall under Russian control in the east, Ukrainian forces lose men and materials. Russian artillery slowly getting the job done... At their pace not that of the western press.

People say Russia is losing but i think if it comes to attrition, Ukraine will lose first. There is no way the EU and US can keep pumping money, food, supplies and weapons into Ukraine. And take care of millions of refugees while still keeping the economy afloat.

Russia has the advantage because they still have their fleet, ports, oil and gas. While EU might not buy from them, they can always sell to others. By the time time winter arrive, i don't think Ukraine would able to keep this momentum up.

I can already see just how high prices are gonna go half a year from now.

No news about the bad boys Azov

Tough to believe the narrative 

At least some are exposing the narrative to the people who need it.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/300584251/russian-tv-online-platforms-hacked-with-antiwar-message-on-victory-day

Hiro - I guess we will see who tires first. I think if the world allows Russia to get away with this obvious land grab without consequences, then they will be looking at more. Do you think Russia will stop with Ukraine?

Little gains? That’s patently false.

everyday a few more villages fall under Russian control in the east, Ukrainian forces lose men 

I can see the joy on your face as you write this.

Do the math

your numbers (& facts) are straight out of the Russian propaganda book

There is no way the EU and US can keep pumping money, food, supplies and weapons into Ukraine.

They'll be happy to do it for years, it's the cheapest war they'll ever have to not fight. Russia is in a meat grinder of its own making, and will be for years.

Blacklabel - the Russian forces made pretty big gains fairly early on, but not as much lately, and have been pushed back to the border north of Kyiv.

Here is a pretty good map for keeping track of the progress: http://liveuamap.com/

ClippetyClop - Agreed. I can’t speak for others, but I myself will be doing all I can to make it known to my electeud representatives that I expect them to stand with Ukraine and against aggression.

U,they will go unpunished,if Putin is brought to his knees,do not get your hope up,you I am not a fan of Putin

“Russia makes few gains” would be negative, but “Russian makes little gains” in the title must surely be a positive slant on the present situation for the Moscow forces.

Tooheysnew...

I can see the joy on your face as you write this.

Not really, this is a war of choice forced by the US with Putin's agreement. No joy in seeing ordinary Russian and Ukrainian servicemen being killed.

your numbers (& facts) are straight out of the Russian propaganda book.

There are many unbiased sources showing Russian gains in the Dombass... Even the western press and Ukrainian's themselves are admitting many of them.

Russia is going to pay for this. Karma.

Watching the live report, Putin looked like a pathetic dictator....

Not sure if he will come back for the next VE ceremony, not even sure if such an event will ever be held out there.

Don’t know what to say about this guy anymore…smh

The choice between NATO and Russia: Do you want to be burned at the stake or burned on a spit.

Mr Kipling

Not really, this is a war of choice forced by the US with Putin's agreement.

LOL. If it was forced by the US, why isn't the US fighting, and why didn't Putin invade last year?

Mr Kipling

There are many unbiased sources showing Russian gains in the Dombass...

Sure. And they are losing ground around Kharkiv. So small gains.

this is a war of choice forced by the US

what a load of rubbish !

No country forced Russia into invading a peaceful independent country.

In fact, the west gave Russia (Putin) countless opportunities to back off.

Russia has the largest land mass area of all countries, yet has a GDP the size of South Korea.

Suck it up Princess Putin....your nation is a modern failure.

Title this book "The Guns of February." Thanks to CNN and the internet, humankind is receiving lessons in the folly of war in real time. At this point Mr. Putin would probably agree; but he's stuck in a quandary with no way to end it without admitting he was wrong.

You are fighting for lies, injustice and the Russian way.

Apparently, Putin is not very good at math either. He claims NATO is completely surrounding Russia. But NATO member countries make up only 6% of Russia's land border.

Fact: NATO is a defensive alliance, whose purpose is to protect our member states. Our exercises and military deployments are not directed against Russia – or any other country.

Only 6% of Russia's land borders touch NATO countries. Russia has land borders with 14 countries. Only five of them are NATO members.

https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/115204.htm#:~:text=Only%206%25%20of%20Russia%27s%20land%20borders%20touch%20NATO,has%20a%20military%20presence%20in%20Kosovo%20and%20Iraq.

Russia is doing very well. EU is not. Russia has militarily obtained all its goals except for Odessa. Wait a week.

Ruble is very strong and exports are up 23% in just three months.

Putin has 87% popularity, Biden 37%.

Oh wow, Rodney! Are you suggesting that Russia will be taking Odesa in a week? If so, that is a very bold prediction! Did you mean something else, perhaps?

This was interesting.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/07/1078929982/a-look-at-the-debate-over-nato-expansion-eastward-thats-at-the-heart-of-conflict

Russia has militarily obtained all its goals except for Odessa. Wait a week.

A week? Ok. What will your excuse be then?

Ukraine is systematic being destroyed,brick by brick,two major cities with population of at least 500 thousands citizen or more ,are back in the stone age,their major industries,have been set back 20 years,what constitutes a win ,not this, whether you support Ukraine,these are grim facts,do not stick your head in the sand like and ostrich

The USA cant make up their minds if they are helping Ukraine or not.

Claimed they helped sink the ships and kill the Russian generals. then walked it back saying its not true.

Now claiming it is kind of true but the leaks to the media saying its true need to stop.

Biden is going to bungle us right into World War 3, he cant even decide to take credit, lie, or both.

"Biden tells top national security officials leaks about intelligence sharing with Ukrainians must stop"

Blacklabel - always leave the enemy guessing!

Pathetic shaky Putin and his nation of war criminals. Nothing to celebrate - just a litany of national shame.

Don’t know what to say about this guy anymore…smh

well the last guy called him a genius, maybe you agree?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNxvSxaGeDE

Blacklabel - always leave the enemy guessing!

By lying to the American people about our actual involvement? and sending our 47 billion dollars to a foreign country during the poorest economy/ highest inflation in recent history?

no thanks.

@ Rodney- "Putin has 87% popularity."

But I wonder how many want to, but are too frightened to speak against the dwarf?

Evidence suggests that any dissent is dealt with summarily.

Wonderful Victory Day!

Depending on what constitutes a threat to Putin’s Russia, there are a combination of NATO and US bases near or very near the eastern borders of Russia.

Ukraine was looking to be a candidate for the next bases for NATO and/or the US.

What should Putin have done?

Should he have allowed a continued military buildup or not?

Blacklabel - I am in favor of supporting Ukraine against Russia. Does that mean I necessarily agree with every step or decision made? No, of course not. But I do know that we need to stand together against naked aggression. I am pretty satisfied with the way Ukraine and the Allies have handled things so far and I will continue to push my elected representatives to support Ukraine. You should let your representatives know how you feel, as well.

Wow just read on the institute of the study of war that Ukrainian troops are expected to push Russia back to the border near kharkiv city within days allowing fire control along the road to izyum.

This would secure another 60 km or so of the eastern border incredible stuff Ukraine.

People say Russia is losing but i think if it comes to attrition, Ukraine will lose first. There is no way the EU and US can keep pumping money, food, supplies and weapons into Ukraine. And take care of millions of refugees while still keeping the economy afloat.

This makes no sense. The value of weapons, money and other aid going into Ukraine from the EU and US is miniscule relative to the size of their economies. All they have to do is send the stuff in and let the Ukrainians do the rest.

In contrast, the Russians don't just have to send stuff into Ukraine, they also have to maintain, support and re-supply an army of approximately 150,000 who are engaged in active combat, which is orders of magnitude more costly than merely providing weapons and aid. All of that cost having to be paid by a single country which has an economy less than 1/20th the size of that of the EU and US. And that economy also being crippled by sanctions to boot.

If there is "no way" the EU and US can continue to provide their aid to Ukraine, which costs much much less to them than what sending a huge army into the country is costing Russia, how would there be any way for Russia to continue to pay the costs of doing what it is doing?

>

Anyone who thinks the Russian invasion of Ukraine was totally unprovoked is unaware of the situation thats bin slowly escalating during the past 8 years and since the Clinton administration.

Putins special operation isn't special it's horrific .

Had the Russians murdered and raped fewer Ukrainian civilians and bombed fewer hospitals and schools, then they may have garnered more support for their naked aggression. As it stands, they look like and act like a criminal gang of Nazis running amok. With any luck they'll be squashed like a disgusting bug.

I find it funny how Dictator Putin can laud the Soviet Union's victory against the Nazis (of which the Soviet Union had a whole lot of materiel help from Britain and the US I may add), yet clearly adopting the brutal Nazi methods when going up against the Soviet Union's former allies in WWII.

Complete with false stories about why Russia "had" to fight Ukraine (a "Nazi" threat? PLEEZ).

Guess Dictator Putin will make up any lie he can to excuse his lust for lebensraum.

What should Putin have done?

Build up his own depleted defunct demoralized forces to his evil little heart’s content, swindle ever more money out of the Russian population, buy himself another superyacht, get another mistress and make more babies. Get treatment for whatever it is that is puffing up his face and giving him the shakes.

What he emphatically should not have done is gone on a rampage, invading his neighbour and dropping bombs on schools, hospitals, crowded train stations, residential areas and theatres packed with children.

Kyo wa - what have any NATO members done to threaten Russia prior to the invasion of Ukraine? It’s not an accident that almost all of the former communist Eastern European countries have chosen to ally with Europe and the West. Do you really think any of these countries want to be more like Russia? Would you want to live in Russia?

This article describes the risks of taking credit for something you didn’t do. as well as the risks of having actually done it but being dumb enough to brag to CNN about it.

https://thehill.com/news/administration/3482310-leaks-raise-concern-ukraine-will-spill-into-us-russia-proxy-war/

Blacklabel - you know as well as I do that if Russia attacks us, they will wish they hadn’t. Of course we are providing intelligence support. Unless you think it is Ukraine’s space program that is providing the Ukrainians with all that satellite imagery?

Russia, US, Britain, France, Holland, Poland armies, navy, air force liberated Europe from the scourge of Nazi Germany.

Yet Russia under the dictatorship of war criminal, Russian President Vladimir Putin has returned Europe to the dark days of mass murder, daily atrocity.

What is left to celebrate on Victory Day for the thousands of families that will forever live in despair of there lost family members loved ones, at the feet of a tyrant threating nuclear war?

yesterday was 77th anniversary of end of WW2 in Europe.

I have checked twice but did not find any article regarding that anniversary.

seems like this may be not good "sales article" for MSM of this type anymore?

maybe newspaper owner believe that there is no issue if will skip that?or its not "newsworthy" at all?

i just wanted to let know to all of you that most dead were from former Soviet Union.

some 27 millions of people or so.

not just soldiers but many civilians.

they have died for their own country while they fought nazi from Germany,Italy and other German/Italian allies.

there were also many dead from other countries like west european countries,Canada,USA etc etc.

should not forget Jews from many countries as well.

but yes-its was not "newsworthy" to make even few simple lines about that.

its not nice to ignore these victims.its not nice to support grandsons and grandaughers of these nazis from AZOV by daily one sided propaganda.

You should feel shame at least.

...Nothing is forgotten and no one is forgotten...

Tom San

This was interesting.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/07/1078929982/a-look-at-the-debate-over-nato-expansion-eastward-thats-at-the-heart-of-conflict

Interesting, but their conclusions are wrong. Putin's invasion has nothing to do with NATO expansion. It is an imperialistic land grab. Pure and simple.

kurisupisu

Depending on what constitutes a threat to Putin’s Russia, there are a combination of NATO and US bases near or very near the eastern borders of Russia.

Ukraine was looking to be a candidate for the next bases for NATO and/or the US.

What should Putin have done?

Should he have allowed a continued military buildup or not?

There was no military build-up and there were no threats to Russia. Considering that, he should have done nothing.

Russia will achieve the goals. Don't get fooled by Nato propaganda.

We witness now the end of western imperialism, the music of the future is BRICS. China, India and Russia have sufficient nukes to strike back at the US and UK if necessary.

And I, from South Africa, think that Japan should be more active and tell these western imperialists that a strike with a nuke is not funny.

Gorbachev did the right thing and set Eastern Europe free. Nato should have been disbanded back then. But no, they continued to threaten Russia and expanded to the east. And now, Ukraine pays the price for flirting with Nato.

There is a choice now, either treat Russia with respect or start a war and face 6000 nukes!

Kyo wa heiwa dayo ne

Anyone who thinks the Russian invasion of Ukraine was totally unprovoked is unaware of the situation thats bin slowly escalating during the past 8 years and since the Clinton administration.

No it hasn't. Previous Warsaw Pact nations joining NATO has nothing to do with Russia and do not threaten Russia.

Anybody who thinks Putin's imperialistic invasion has anything to do with NATO expansion is entirely misreading the situation.

No it hasn't. Previous Warsaw Pact nations joining NATO has nothing to do with Russia and do not threaten Russia.

Remind us what nation NATO was founded to oppose, and the majority of that nation is now which nation?

It's a strange double-standard when the explicitly anti-Russian NATO expanding towards Russia is considered fine, but China having any presence on Solomon Islands is tantamount to a war declaration.

Daniel Christen

Russia will achieve the goals. Don't get fooled by Nato propaganda.

Like take Kyiv, murder Zelenskyy and install a puppet leader? Nope. Not going to happen.

Gorbachev did the right thing and set Eastern Europe free.

True.

Nato should have been disbanded back then.

Why? The main reason that NATO didn't disband was Putin and his aggressive moves in Chechnya and Georgia. This is less of NATO expanding and more ex Warsaw Pact countries feeling threatened.

But no, they continued to threaten Russia and expanded to the east.

No, they didn't threaten Russia.

And now, Ukraine pays the price for flirting with Nato.

Has nothing to do with it. It's a nice pretext though.

Addfwyn

No it hasn't. Previous Warsaw Pact nations joining NATO has nothing to do with Russia and do not threaten Russia.

Remind us what nation NATO was founded to oppose, and the majority of that nation is now which nation?

The USSR and now Russia. And it probably would have become irrelevant and disbanded, except for Putin's aggressive moves in Chechnya and Georgia. This is Putin's own fault.

It's a strange double-standard when the explicitly anti-Russian NATO expanding towards Russia is considered fine, but China having any presence on Solomon Islands is tantamount to a war declaration.

It certainly would be if Australia invaded the Solomon Islands, sure.

It's a strange double-standard when the explicitly anti-Russian NATO expanding towards Russia is considered fine, but China having any presence on Solomon Islands is tantamount to a war declaration.

If the US were to invade the Solomon Islands in an operation that killed tens of thousands of civilians and turned a quarter of the population into refugees in order to prevent China from having any presence on it then maybe we could talk about there being some sort of equivalence between the two.

@Eastman

Thanks for the crayon and paper history lesson. Have you read lots about this?

Not that it’s relevant to what Russia is doing today, but you did omit that the USSR signed a pact with the foul Nazi regime. Of course, this is not to disrespect to the brave soldiers of the former USSR who fought against the Nazis after this pact was broken.

I’m sure it was an oversight on your part.

Anyway, let’s focus on what Russia is doing today. That is the main point.

Let people think Russia isn't making gains. Who cares? False sense of security in addition to all the morale-boosting fake videos like Ghost of Kiev.

Tom San

This was interesting.

https://www.npr.org/2022/02/07/1078929982/a-look-at-the-debate-over-nato-expansion-eastward-thats-at-the-heart-of-conflict

Interesting, but their conclusions are wrong. Putin's invasion has nothing to do with NATO expansion. It is an imperialistic land grab. Pure and simple.

Say what you will, but that's* **your*** **take on Putin's motives.

Everyone's free to have an "opinion", but I tend to steer clear of folks who are judgemental and/or self-righteous.

I'll stick with the more credible NPR report (Becky Sullivan, Mary Sarotte, Jim Goldgeier) instead.

Tom San

Interesting, but their conclusions are wrong. Putin's invasion has nothing to do with NATO expansion. It is an imperialistic land grab. Pure and simple.

Say what you will, but that's* **your*** **take on Putin's motives.

No, it's not my opinion. It's Putin's. Russia showed their hand by accidentally publishing a propaganda piece that shows Putin's motives. It's rather clear. This was a totally imperialistic move.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/04/30/russia-putin-zampolits-ukraine-propaganda-campaign-war/

Everyone's free to have an "opinion", but I tend to steer clear of folks who are judgemental and/or self-righteous.

I'll stick with the more credible NPR report (Becky Sullivan, Mary Sarotte, Jim Goldgeier) instead.

I think I'll stick with Putin's propaganda department. It reveals more than these guys speculation.

Tom San

Sorry, wrong link. This is the correct one:

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-60562240

Russia has militarily obtained all its goals except for Odessa.

false

Ruble is very strong and exports are up 23% in just three months.

false

Putin has 87% popularity,

ring ring,

hello Ivan, this is the KGB. Do you support Putin ?

yes ? Correct answer

Whatever one feels for Putin's Russia, what did those WW2 Soviet veterans have to commemorate on Victory Day?

Nothing, Putin's Russia has gone full circle, the scourge in the here and now.

Rise up.

an imperialist act is an action carried out by a capitalist power in order to expand its economic, financial and military power, seeking to redivide the world under new conditions of existence.

Gee, that is an awfully focused definition that seems designed for the sole purpose of excluding what Russia is doing from being described as "imperialist". Using that definition most things we consider "Empires" historically (like ancient Rome) would not be "imperialist", so its pretty useless.

A real definition of "imperialism" describes it as: "state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas." (Encyclopedia Brittanica, but other sources use similar definitions). 

I can see why you wouldn't want to use that one since what Russia is doing clearly falls within its scope.

“Very soon there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine,” he said in a video. He added: "We are fighting for freedom, for our children, and therefore we will win.”

"In Russia we guarantee the freedom of speech, but not the freedom after speech" - Vladimir Putin

take a short break and think WHY all of this happened.

OK.

Hmm...let me think. Why did that thing Putin did happen?

Oh right, because Putin did it. Therefore he is responsible for it because people who do things are responsible for the things that they do.

Very useful exercise, thank you.

and you tell us that such a research laboratory in Ukraine funded by the US is no problem? Seriously?

Should be fine. The US funds many labs across the world. And, BTW, most of these facilities were set up in the Soviet era.

Prof. Luc Montagnier, a nobel laureate for discovering a virus, told us something else.

And ask the people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki what could happen when the US peacefully researches nuclear energy!