Ukraine sees openings as Russia fixed on besieged Mariupol

However, Davyd Arakhamia said on Ukrainian TV that he hopes that draft is developed enough so that the two countries’ presidents can meet to discuss it.

Whatever Ukraine finds itself forced to agree to we should in no case feel ourselves bound by it

No withdrawal of sanctions No release of frozen Russian funds (should be used for reparations anyway).

Yes to ramp up of NATO defense spending to 2.5%. Return US troop levels to 1991 levels. Immediate offer to Sweden and Finland to join NATO.

When Putin is gone then and only then we can start to talking about lifting sanctions and return to normalization.

As far as media coverage of the war is, the question needs to be asked: Has information through coverage becoming battle-scaped to sucha degree that our expectations day-today over the battle between Good and Evil, that good must win? In other words, will people - when faced with the possible failure of their expectations- demand a double down? More war, demended by the people, to guard against a possibly that evil may not be suppressed? How far can/should war coverage go without it spiking a popular need (craving?) for more war? War as an addictive substance?

1 Sorry - 4 times mr Zelenskiy - a little bit too much for a this young guy.

2 No I’m pretty sure Z it’s short for naZi

Sorry one more time. There are Nazi on Ukraine. Its truth, but on the other side.

Incredible that European countries are letting this happen in their own backyard---again.

Incredible that Russia is invading countries in its own backyard - again.

Incredible that European countries are letting this happen in their own backyard---again.

and what about Putin’s buddy, the head of the Wagner terrorist group, who has a nazi ‘ss’ tattoo !?

Wagner is not a terrorist group. Can you provide a link? I don't know what are talking about - what buddy, what tattoo?

NaZi is as naZi does: anyone with more than a little knowledge about Putin and his concept of Russia would know that Putin's greatest influencer based on that murderous thug's words and deeds is not Stalin but Ivan Ilyin, a Russian fascist ideologue and Hitler admirer. This is how we can conclude that Putin's obsession with "Nazis" in the Ukraine is nothing more than a psychological projection of Putin's "inner fascist".

Asakazi, still pushing the discredited denazification narrative despite factual evidence to the contrary.

Russia is pulling out in the north because their elite paratroopers (purportedly the best of the best) who were supposed to take Kyiv in a day or so have been destroyed and out fought by local Ukrainian defence volunteers. Russia wasn’t going anywhere and they knew it, now they are being ambushed and chased back to the border.

The evidence is now coming to light of what a bunch of thugs, murderers and criminals the Russian forces really are. BBC corespondent Jeremy Bowen has seen the civilian corpses littering the streets, some with their hands tied behind their backs, his video report is on the BBC web sight for those with a strong stomach. The occupying Russian forces looted private homes of valuables and food leaving the civilian population to starve.

So much for liberating them!

@Peter14

Until they complete the capture of Mariupol the land bridge is not complete.

Ukronazi are just in several pockets at the seaside of Mariupol. The large road there is usable. And there are roads around Mariupol.

Luckily the Ukraine has other ideas and is getting massive support of equipment, munitions

Yes, the bloc NAZI, err, sorry, the bloc NATO is providing support. Nothing new, back in 30s the West did the same when it gave support to Hitler in the hope of encouraging him to attack USSR.

Putin, like Hitler before him, is failing

Zelensky, like a miniHitler, did everything from Hitler's playbook: issued orders to VSU (Ukrainian Whermacht) to hold at cities to the last man, taking civilians as hostages, he authorized distribution of weapons to ragtag civilians and even criminal gangs (Ukrainian Volkssturm), unleashed savage terror by SBU (Ukrainian Gestapo) on any voice of dissent. The result for him will be the same.

And do not expect Mariupol to be deblockaded. Contrary to armchair warriors' optimistic claims, Ukrainian Whermacht is unable to stage anything like the Hitler's offensive at Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge). Too afraid to leave cities and human shields they provide.

The Black sea has turned into a hot zone.

Game changer.

The UK is stirring the pot .

Now its starting to look like a war .

@Asakaze

Once Russia has a land bridge it will begin real negotiations with Ukraine

There is a land bridge with Crimes already, the whole Kherson region is under Russian control. You are welcome to learn the wonders of maps.

Until they complete the capture of Mariupol the land bridge is not complete. I have access to complete maps of the world.

But Putin's aim is not to snatch some territory, his aim is denazification of Ukraine, something like was done in Germany after 1945.

Putin is trying to renazify Ukraine after Russia's image. Luckily the Ukraine has other ideas and is getting massive support of equipment, munitions, medicines and food to keep them fighting off the Russian NaZi forces. Putin wanted to take all of Ukraine but failed miserably.

Putin, like Hitler before him, is failing. Like Hitler he may end up taking his own life rather than suffer at the hands of Russian families looking for revenge for their children Putin has sent off to their meaningless deaths.

@Cricky

Thugs? Horde might be a better term. NaZi horde

Very accurate description of Ukrainian regime forces.

@fallaffel

Where do you get your info? It's a very... interesting... take on the invasion

A varity of sources. Western, Russian, Ukrainian. Translation programs help a lot to anyone who wants to know.

I' m interested in military conflicts and I follow most of them - Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria, Yemen, Donbass, Ukraine. I followed the events in Ukraine very closely from the very beginning in 2014 and I see what most posters here prefer to ignore: barbaric brutality of Ukrainian forces (regular army, nazi volunteer units, street death squads) against anybody they consider "not Ukrainian enough". From April 2014 Ukrainian forces almost daily shelled cities of Donbass with artillery, killing and maiming many thousands of people. You won't see this info at Western propaganda outlets like BBC. A week ago Ukrainian thugs fired a ballistic missile "Tochka-U" at the city of Donetsk, killing and wounding dozens of people. I did not see even one article about it in Western media.

@Hiro

Sending troops to try and change the situation in Mariupol would be at extreme disadvantage for Ukrainian forces. That would basically be a suicide mission at the moment.

Few days ago they tried to extract some of the Azov commanders with helicopters, but they were shot down.

I suggest we wait and see what effect 1.3 billion dollars of American aid brings to the table in terms of long-range strike capabilities on Russian ships artillery and command and control. And remember people even if they capture Mariupol it's not like it can't be recaptured again later just like hostomel. Also the psychological toll is starting to tell on the average Russian military family who have received a phone call from Ukrainian Army members telling them about picking the cell phone of their dead husband. They speak to people who speak to people it all starts to snowball.

That Smart Car looks like it held up much better than the Russian tanks I've seen blown to bits.

@Asazake: Where do you get your info? It's a very... interesting... take on the invasion.

What a blinking mess, even if the russians take over the Ukraine the new war will start as the ukrainians will hate russan rule and will sabotage all efforts the Russians try make. unless the russians move out, this war will carry on for ages, and ages.

Thugs? Horde might be a better term. NaZi horde.

Aren't they gonna send reinforcement to Mariupol to try to break the siege? I am not sure if losing that city along with the Donbas region is gonna do them any good. Eventually Mariupol is gonna run out of supplies,ammunition and would be force to surrender.

No I’m pretty sure Z it’s short for naZi. The whole situation would support that. Attacking a neighbour, shelling civilians no preppy sure it Z for naZi.

Hell In Europe and it's all because of one evil ambitions.

Putin has been defeated - but like all dictators and tyrants, he suffers from excessive ego, vanity, and narcissism, that make him unable to admit his failure....

So the war continues, the excuses and lies keeping coming, and the innocent keep dying...

The blood will remain on his hands, and his hands solely...

@Cricky

The Z we now know is Russian short hand for naZ

You know wrong. Actually it is antinaZi.

@Akula

After being resoundingly defeated around Kyiv, it will be interesting to see how the Russians go in the Donbas

Ceding some territory hardly quialifies as a "sound deafeat", local setback max. But you are right about Donbass, main events will be there. And we will see what price the Ukrainian regime forces will pay after all the horrendous war crimes they have committed for the past eight years since their first badly botched attempt to crush the rebellion in Donbass in 2014.

@Khaos

Russia is not obsessed with Mariupol, it's just taking the city bit by bit

Correct observation. There are two problems with Mariupol. First, it's very strong garrison: airborne units and a marines brigade, plus the Azov regiment (not battalion as many posters here claim) of diehard nazi fanatics. Second problem: the tactics of the Ukronazi, they use the same tactics as ISIS terrorists at Mosul and Raqqa. Typical residential buildings in Mariupol are five-storied, so on the first floor are tanks and other AFVs (in arcs, breaches in walls etc), on the second are locals - hostages, on the third floor are anti-tank crews, on the fourth floor are hostges again, on the fifth floor and roofs are snipers. Can't use aviation, missiles etc. Many from the Donbass forces who storm Mariupol now have families and relatives in the city they don't want to harm, that's why this very slow advance. They are not Americans at Mosul.

@Peter14

Once Russia has a land bridge it will begin real negotiations with Ukraine

There is a land bridge with Crimes already, the whole Kherson region is under Russian control. You are welcome to learn the wonders of maps. But Putin's aim is not to snatch some territory, his aim is denazification of Ukraine, something like was done in Germany after 1945.

Ukraine better launch on Russian,by targeting Russian assets in Belarus,that border Ukraine

“When a nation is defending itself in a war of annihilation, when it is a question of life or death of millions, there are no unimportant things. ... And everyone can contribute to a victory for all,” the president said. “Some with weapons in their hands. Some by working. And some with a warm word and help at the right moment. Do everything you can so we stand together in this war for our freedom, for our independence.”

The Global community must make sacrifices, endure the pain of shutting off, curtailing there addiction to Russian fossil fuels, so ending this war/invasion.

Whatever the cost, stand up and be counted and support Ukraine with every means necessary.

Land, sea, and air.

There will be a cost, possibility many times more horrific that WW2.

The time for these dictators are over.

The show's far from over, I fear.

This is an intermission, with fresh Russian actors and their mercenaries lining up at the stage door.

Ukraine must move to relieve the besieged Mariupol to stop Russia getting its land bridge to Crimea.

Once Russia has a land bridge it will begin real negotiations with Ukraine while strengthening the corridor and getting as much of Donetsk and Luhansk under their control.

They will not get the regime change they wanted, and they will not get as much territory as they wanted but they will end up with a nice chunk of Ukraine territory, about 1/3 of it by the end.

Ukraine must hold Odessa and as much coast line as it can and free Mariupol.

Russia is not obsessed with Mariupol, it's just taking the city bit by bit and at present they control over 80% of that city. They don't have some overwhelming force there, as the big battles are elsewhere.

Considering there was a "small" army (bigger than many country's) stationed in Mariupol, and they are using guerilla tactics amid civilians, it's natural that taking that city is a prolonged grind.

After being resoundingly defeated around Kyiv, it will be interesting to see how the Russians go in the Donbas. I suspect all that western weaponry and equipment arriving is going to make it easier for the Ukrainians to defend and to continue to cause serious casualties.

The situation in Bucha, Irpin and Hostomel is disgraceful, with war crimes committed by the Russians - I suspect those Russian soldiers that didn't make it out of the Bucha pocket in time will pay a price.

Well the Russian naZi attacks continue, and their being upset about the oil refinery attack is laughable. Their crimes are just starting to come to light.The Z we now know is Russian short hand for naZi.