world

Russia pounds eastern Ukraine as U.S. urges West to provide arms to Kyiv

62 Comments
By YESICA FISCH and JON GAMBRELL

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

62 Comments

Comments have been disabled You can no longer respond to this thread.

@Yrrai

An Israel will reap ,what it sowed by being in bed with Russia,the usual sellout.

israel will be on her own so that her defence will solely be attributed to God. This will be the end of strong powers like Russia and will be the end of radical Sunni (Turkey) and radical Shia (Iran). There will be a power vacuum which will usher in the new world order, the one world govt that will be ruled by the final world dictator, the @n+!€hr!$t.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

We are yet to see the full impact of sanctions on the Russian

Yep but the guy who just swapped user names said it already happened.

“and Russia's economy crumbles”

his new article says 88% within 5 years. You also say don’t know about it later yet, as my article speculated.

so the part of my article discussing right now is correct. As of right now, it’s the best since 1994, subject to change.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Spot on Eastman; the people thinking this conflict began in Feb 2022 and refusing to research further are the same people who would believe Powell and his white powder.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

and that is not my own astute analysis, these sentences are from that article.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Blacklabel, this Record Current Account Surplus Disguises the Longer-term Impact of the Economic Sanctions. We are yet to see the full impact of sanctions on the Russian economy

0 ( +2 / -2 )

and Russia's economy crumbles as it speeds toward defaulting on its debt...

This says otherwise-

And it's wrong....

The price of insuring Russia’s debt against default jumped on Tuesday signaling an 87.7% chance that the country will miss its debt obligations within five years, according to CMA, part of ICE Data Services. 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-05/russia-five-year-default-risk-jumps-to-87-7-after-u-s-ban#:~:text=Russia%20Five%2DYear%20Default%20Risk%20Jumps%20to%2087.7%25%20After%20U.S.%20Ban,-Treasury%20decided%20to

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Ukraine’s most effective foreign policy?

Continue sending lots of body bags back to Russia. Grim but true.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

and Russia's economy crumbles as it speeds toward defaulting on its debt...

This says otherwise-

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/russia-record-current-account-surplus-122041121.html

The wider surplus reflects soaring revenue from Russia’s oil and gas exports – largely spared from international sanctions for the present.

Figure 1. Russia recorded its highest ever current account surplus since at least 1994

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

To all our Putin-defending, Potemkin Village-dwelling, the West is trying to extinguish our Russian genotype info warriors... You may want to digest this...

Putin wanted to annex Ukraine in less than a week and install a puppet government...he failed...

He then tried to capture Kyiv....he failed....

He's now trying to capture Maripul...he's failing...

And what has this failure cost to date; 21K Russian troops killed - more than in Russia's nine year Afghan war, 16 general/senior officer dead, 918 tanks, 2308 armored vehicles 416 artillery systems, 149 MLR systems, 69 anti-aircraft warfare systems, 184 warplanes, 154 helicopters, and 1643 other vehicles turned o scrap. And the pride of Russia's fleet, named after the Capitol city, sits at the bottom of the Black Sea along with a significant number of its sailors... 

Meanwhile, Putin continues to commit war crime after war crime against innocent Ukrainian civilians...and Russia's economy crumbles as it speeds toward defaulting on its debt...

And he'll continue to fail, because as history has shown, insecure, weak dictators can never admit defeat...until they're violently overthrown...

2 ( +6 / -4 )

Putin is in total control of this invasion

Like he was in total control of the fire and explosions on his flagship?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

ESL Mundi - Do you still feel that Russia is going to drive on to Portugal?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Eastman - please give us more credit than that! The Ukrainians in 2014 ousted a Russian puppet, as the peoples of Belarus and Kazakhstan have also tried to do since then, but failed. Russia got upset that their boy got ousted and had to come live in Russia with them, so they funded and supported separatists in the East. What would your country do if separatists tried breaking up your country? I know how mine would react.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Sh1mon - Who is siding with Russia over Ukraine (other than Belarus)? Name and shame, please!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The Foreign Minister of Russia points out the obvious by stating that NATO is already at war with Russia in Ukraine and correctly warns the member states that supplying weapons to Ukraine makes them belligerent parties and legitimate military targets:

Russia’s top diplomat has warned that NATO is now fighting a proxy war with Russia in Ukraine and there is a ‘very serious’ risk the conflict could turn nuclear.

Sergei Lavrov, speaking on Russian state TV last night, accused western leaders of risking a third world war by supplying Ukraine with weapons with the goal of ‘wearing down the Russian army’ – an aim he described as an ‘illusion’.

Accusing NATO and its allies of attempting to bully Russia on the international stage, Lavrov warned that tensions between east and west are now worse than during the Cuban missile crisis at the height of the Cold War.

Unfortunately, the Western leaders and diplomats appear to believe that Russia’s warnings are as baseless and irrelevant as their own rhetorical posturing as they dutifully demonstrate their suicidal, and literally proverbial, stupidity.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin travelled to Kyiv on Sunday for a face-to-face meeting with President Zelensky to discuss supplies, before pledging another multi-million dollar shipment.

Austin will also chair a meeting of more than 40 defence ministers at Ramstein air base in Germany today, aimed at securing additional supplies and coordinating efforts between allies to ensure Ukraine has everything it needs.

Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Monday night that he regards Russia’s scaremongering as a sign of weakness.

Russia had lost its ‘last hope to scare the world off supporting Ukraine,’ Kuleba wrote on Twitter after Lavrov’s interview. ‘This only means Moscow senses defeat.’

British armed forces minister James Heappey agreed with that assessment today, saying he does not see an imminent threat of escalation in Ukraine and dismissing Lavrov’s comments as ‘bravado’.

‘Lavrov’s trademark over the course of 15 years or so that he has been the Russian foreign secretary has been that sort of bravado. I don’t think that right now there is an imminent threat of escalation,’ Heappey told BBC Television.

‘What the West is doing to support its allies in Ukraine is very well calibrated … Everything we do is calibrated to avoid direct confrontation with Russia.’

Thinking that playing cute and coy with your public statements is somehow going to permit you to simultaneously engage in clear acts of war while avoiding being targeted by a hyper-sonic missile barrage is the sort of thing that only fat, soft, and very stupid people can believe. Unfortunately, the last two years of The War on Covid have proven that most people across the so-called Democratic West are fat, soft, and very, very stupid.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

to all of you who believes that my comment was uncorrect.

pls think what was reason for Russian action in Ukraine first,think about 2014-2022 years situation of civilians in Lugansk and Donetsk regions you have never heard or care about and than think about consequences of that for Ukraine regime.

dont be "UA expert" from February 24th 2022 but look back.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

 Putin is in total control of this invasion.

Sh1mon - thank you for your agreement that the responsibility and blame for this war is on Putin. I agree.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Send Ukraine M-270 MLRS

...for what? Ukraine is essentially kaput, economically, socially, & militarily.

Taiwanese are saying America won't come, better off kneeling down to Xi than suffer Ukraine's fate.

Japan, despite having much more to loose, still has not send Ukraine with any weapons.

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Ah, yes, America is destroying its own reputation, because Russia is invading Ukraine. Makes total sense.

...so figure it out. Putin is in total control of this invasion. How much money flows to Russia, who gets Russian gas/oil, how much if Ukraine is destroyed, who is allowed in/out of Ukraine and for what purpose.

Meanwhile, more and more nations choose to stand with Russia, and less and less with USA (and the west). Don't forget Blinken on hands and knees to Maduro either...embarrassing and unbecoming.

As late as last month, the Chinese was still running investment roadshow saying Wall St runs America, and that Wall St money sits inside China behind the likes of Tesla etc., another word - China controls America.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

The war in the south is spreading and threatening the sovereignty of Moldova.

Russia’s war in Ukraine threatens to spill over in dangerous new phase

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/26/russias-war-in-ukraine-threatens-to-spill-over-in-dangerous-new-phase

Both Finland and Sweden will begin the process to join NATO

Sweden and Finland agree to submit Nato applications, say reports

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/apr/25/sweden-and-finland-agree-to-submit-nato-applications

The danger is the war driving counties to join NATO, also movement of military posture within EU members states.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

as would I.

Glad we are on the same page with this, Blacklabel!

Chance of that happening? 0% or less.

I am going to have to disagree with you on this, however, as long as Ukraine is willing to fight the invaders, we should be willing to support them in this. I know I do.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Free nations morality to keep people free demands they help out. And help they are, very willingly.

Yes, we can't let bullies prevail and should always be willing to help the weak resist the strong.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Peter14, Ukraine is bankrupt,they owe 124 billion to creditors, Russia is bleeding them dry,with no prospects for recovery,like Yemen

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Some Ukrainian fired cruise missiles that target Putin's 20 homes in Russia would be a clear message. Perhaps 1 would get lucky too and solve the entire Russian leadership issue?

There is no way to avoid a wider war now. NATO will be in it in a few months. They don't have much choice, since Russia still thinks they can get away with taking a little bit of Europe every few years. That's unacceptable. Good people need to end this, ASAP, whatever it takes.

No more appeasement.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I think most of us would rather just see the invaders go home and pay for what they broke.

as would I. Chance of that happening? 0% or less.

so move on to the peace negotiations.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

the more arms you provide to Ukraine, the longer this conflict will hold on.

and the more innocent people will die. And the more money Zelensky will demand from the world to now "rebuild Ukraine".

And it is all because of Putin and his invasion. Zelensky requests, he is in no position to demand, and he does not need to demand. Free nations morality to keep people free demands they help out. And help they are, very willingly.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

The more arms you provide to Ukraine, the longer this conflict will hold on. You can't really throw a gun someone and shout "peace" at the same time.

You cant invade another country killing tens of thousands of people and expect peace to break out.

You want Ukraine to surrender to Russia. Not a viable or acceptable option. The only acceptable option is for Russia to remove its troops from all of Ukraine. Until then, fighting is inevitable.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Blacklabel - Those are indeed options, but I don't think Ukraine and the West are as interested in those. I think most of us would rather just see the invaders go home and pay for what they broke.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

An Israel will reap ,what it sowed by being in bed with Russia,the usual sellout

1 ( +2 / -1 )

why US not urges Zelenskyy to discuss with Russia about peace?

They have tried negotiating but Russia refuses to be rational and makes demands that are unacceptable.

why instead of it helping make conflict bigger and use own vassals in West to make war neverending?

Why is Russia invading a peaceful nation and killing thousands of people for no reason? They would all still be alive today if Putin had not invaded Ukraine.

any normal explanation for that?

Yes, Putin has gone completely mad. There is no doubt about that. The only thing to do with such a mad man is to put him in a mental health institution, pump him full of calming drugs and work to repair the damage he has to his mind.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Israel will emerge as an alternative source of energy to Europe which will be the hook in the jaw of Gog (Putin) to bring him to the mountains of Israel to plunder and get a spoil. Gog will lead a coalition of nations including Turkey, Iran, Sudan, Libya and many other central Asian countries to cover Israel like a cloud. God will supernaturally defend Israel and he will sanctify himself before the eyes of the world. Read Eze. 38 and 38.

Eschatological exegesis of world affairs on Japan Today.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Blacklabel - yes, many innocents have died and many more will unfortunately die until Russia gives up or is pushed back.

or until Ukraine stops fighting back and joins the peace negotiations.

Or until the West stops arming Ukraine and funding them at 7 billion dollars per month.

that is also an option.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Israel will emerge as an alternative source of energy to Europe which will be the hook in the jaw of Gog (Putin) to bring him to the mountains of Israel to plunder and get a spoil. Gog will lead a coalition of nations including Turkey, Iran, Sudan, Libya and many other central Asian countries to cover Israel like a cloud. God will supernaturally defend Israel and he will sanctify himself before the eyes of the world. Read Eze. 38 and 38.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

If you do not have a strategy,all the weapon in the world will not help you,they are just killing Russian in tanks, while Russian foot soldiers are killings civilian,like in the Kiev area, Russian command and control, headquarters are located at 50.266366,38.111 14 miles from the Ukraine borders,you could liquidate thousands of Russia soldiers while they hangovers on Sunday morning, before the May 9 Victory Day

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

It seems that the pandemic isn’t enough to crash the world’s economy so Putin was instigated by the World Economic Forum educated western leaders to instigate and provoke Russia to attack Ukraine by making Ukraine a member of NATO and putting NATO’s military assets in Ukraine close to the Russian border. The crashing of the world economic system is important to these globalists elites so they push their one world govt agenda and usher in the new world order wherein the people will be under their matrix.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Sadly, this is how world wars start.

Each little movement seems unrelated and moving in different directions, but gradually the whole whirlpool becomes visible, and by then the current is too strong, no-one can stop it, and it is too late.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Blacklabel - yes, many innocents have died and many more will unfortunately die until Russia gives up or is pushed back. And yes, Ukraine is going to need rebuilding as well, as is often the case after countries are devastated by wars. What is your point?

2 ( +7 / -5 )

Interesting....Biden send howitzers, javelins, and switchblades...

I guess Trump would have sent bananas, tomatoes, and pineapples...

According to former President Donald Trump, hurling a fruit at someone can be a lethal act—one that justifies the use of violence to thwart any use of produce as projectile. In transcripts of an October 2021 deposition, filed in court on Tuesday, the twice-impeached former president insisted tomatoes, pineapples, and bananas can be “very dangerous” weapons that justify violent acts of “self-defense.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-warns-of-killer-tomatoes-pineapples-and-bananas-in-court-docs/ar-AAWDmh3?cvid=9f264e79f5694b8991d954b90b63bdd5

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

The more arms you provide to Ukraine, the longer this conflict will hold on.

and the more innocent people will die. And the more money Zelensky will demand from the world to now "rebuild Ukraine".

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

Kinjiro_Aki, your analogy is jarringly correct and frankly at the same time highlights Ukraine should not be required to turn the other cheek.

This could be a pivotal point in European/global history. The decades of guarded détente, of sometimes strained peaceful diplomacy are in the midst coming to a end or are already over.

The Battle for Ukraine is becoming the Battle for Europe.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

The more arms you provide to Ukraine, the longer this conflict will hold on.

Until/unless Russia decides to go home. That's the point.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The more arms you provide to Ukraine, the longer this conflict will hold on. You can't really throw a gun someone and shout "peace" at the same time. We've seen this happen so many times.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

Kinjiro Aki - Maybe Eastman is much more comfortable surrendering a part of another country, but not his own? Eastman - would you be ok with surrendering a chunk of your country's territory to an invading enemy?

8 ( +11 / -3 )

EastmanToday  09:36 am JST

why US not urges Zelenskyy to discuss with Russia about peace?

why instead of it helping make conflict bigger and use own vassals in West to make war neverending?

any normal explanation for that?

any thoughts?

If your neighbour jumped the fence, hit you over the head with a baseball bat and annexed your backyard and a quarter of your house, would you be willing to discuss peace with them and concede to them your property which they stole?

6 ( +13 / -7 )

why US not urges Zelenskyy to discuss with Russia about peace?

Eastman - I think Ukraine would be ok with sitting down for peace talks after the invaders have been expelled.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

A day earlier, Lavrov accused NATO of “pouring oil on the fire” with its support for Ukraine. He also warned against provoking World War III and said the threat of a nuclear conflict “should not be underestimated.”

“A nuclear war cannot be won and it shouldn’t be fought,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby responded in an interview with CNN. “That kind of rhetoric is clearly not called for in the current scenario. What is called for is Mr. Putin ending this war.”

Lavrov, rhetoric, tone is deliberately provocative, threatening thermo nuclear war.

It's intent is to terrorise, create horror and alarm.

A tyrant war criminal, and a coward at heart.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

why US not urges Zelenskyy to discuss with Russia about peace?

why instead of it helping make conflict bigger and use own vassals in West to make war neverending?

any normal explanation for that?

any thoughts?

-10 ( +4 / -14 )

Desert, Ukraine are destroying their own bridges,too stop Russian advances Google The Institute of Study of War

-4 ( +2 / -6 )

Rodney - I don't think your assessment of Russia's motivations are very accurate. Do you really think that is anything other than an attempted strategic land grab combined with a nice helping of showing Ukraine "their place" relative to Russia?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

I think one of the ways the west could help is rebuilding things like bridges and railroads and other important infrastructure knocked down by the Russians. If you study the US Civil War one of the Union Army's great advantages fighting the Confederates was their ability to rapidly repair damaged railroads and especially those big wooden trestles used as bridges back then. The Union Army engineers could rebuild damaged infrastructure including Confederate infrastructure destroyed as they advanced very rapidly, as in mere days, and use it to support their forces. Likewise in WWII Allied efforts to cripple German industry were most often stymied by the German's ability to repair damage and return factories and refineries to production often in less than a week after a big allied bombing raid. The west needs to help give Ukraine the ability to rapidly rebuild downed bridges, damaged rail lines and other infrastructure so their war effort is not ground down slowly by such damage.

7 ( +10 / -3 )

Germany has decided to send Ukraine Flakpanzer Gepard's. Poland is transferring some (or all?) of their T-72 tanks to Ukraine. The UK is supposed to send Poland Challenger II tanks to fill the gap left by the departed T-72s along with some British crews to operate them. The UK is sending AS90 self propelled 155mm howitzers to Ukraine. There is a report floating around that Slovakia sent Ukraine some of their MiG-29s and both Poland and Slovakia sent Ukraine spares that allowed Ukraine to return about 20 of their out of service aircraft, type(s) not specified, to a flying status.

8 ( +11 / -3 )

Let's hope the Ukrainians really do intend to rain on Putin's parade and get the bridge demolition job done before May 9.

Agree. No reason the Kerch Bridge should be left standing after the Odesa bridge went down. It seems like Russia is eyeing Odesa and Transnistria/Moldova next.

13 ( +15 / -2 )

Sad. Poor Ukraine however this ends up

7 ( +11 / -4 )

I hope that there is a coup in Russia and Putin is removed ....

NATO: Thanks Putin, we couldn't have done it without you. You are a gift to NATO.

9 ( +14 / -5 )

...Russian missile fire also knocked out a strategic railroad bridge along a route that links southern Ukraine's Odesa port region to neighboring Romania, a NATO member...

This latest Russian escalation should not go unanswered and the Ukrainians know how. And so do the Putinista bully boys whose flagrant hypocrisy matches the size of Russia itself:  Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, slammed Kyiv's threat to bomb the Kerch Bridge, saying it would be "a terror attack" and would be unacceptable. Let's hope the Ukrainians really do intend to rain on Putin's parade and get the bridge demolition job done before May 9.

4 ( +9 / -5 )

America once again is doing what America does. Standing up for the oppressed, the poor, and the people in need who cannot defend themselves. America is always leading the world to the light. Good on them.

-4 ( +7 / -11 )

Putin and the Kremlin are warmongers, using fossil fuels as leverage to keep the globe's fossil economy rulers from obliterating the oversized gas station Russia is. That along with the threat of nuclear war, which a MADmale like Putin would likely resort to, show how macho Putin is. Sick, sick male, but still considered 'smart' and 'strong' by some among his extreme right and even left followers, especially those that want to see the US/UK/West/NATO consortium obliterated. They want to see the west's form of 'market' capitalism replaced by state capitalism, aka fascism. Some even justifying that be claiming that is what Lenin forecast, let Putin lie side by side for eternity close to Lenin

3 ( +11 / -8 )

Send Ukraine M-270 MLRS.

8 ( +12 / -4 )

IMO, USA is destroying its own reputation and taking others along with it.

Ah, yes, America is destroying its own reputation, because Russia is invading Ukraine. Makes total sense.

14 ( +20 / -6 )

Sh1mon M4sasde - thank you for sharing your opinion.

-4 ( +6 / -10 )

“This gathering reflects the galvanized world,”

Galvanized for what? Tgere is more money flowing to Russia's coffers now than before the war. Putin is embarrassing every single western leader with each debunk.

Gas and money flows at Russia's discretion, Ukraine being destroyed, war crimes, humanitarian disaster, all things that the west said are redlines.

IMO, USA is destroying its own reputation and taking others along with it.

-11 ( +8 / -19 )

Lavrov accused NATO of “pouring oil on the fire” with its support for Ukraine. 

That is rich, coming from the arsonist who started the fire and is pouring even more oil on it.

13 ( +20 / -7 )

These Russian leaders are dysfunctional to believe their delusional account of their criminal action

7 ( +16 / -9 )

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites