Russia’s military focus on Ukraine is no longer “only” the east of the country, Foreign Minister lavrov has said. In an interview with Russian state media, he implied Moscow’s strategy had changed after the West supplied Ukraine with longer-range weapons. Lavrov specifically referred to the HIMARS longer-range rocket system – supplied only recently by the US – with which Ukraine has had significant success.
The HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems supplied by the United States to Ukraine can fire at a distance of up to 80 km. The United States, together with its allies, allocates a total of more than 20 HIMARS multiple-launch rocket systems to Ukraine. This is stated in a statement made at a press conference by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley after their meeting with the Contact Group on defense issues of Ukraine. The United States, together with its allies, allocates more than 20 MLRS to Ukraine, 12 of which have already been transferred. Also, according to General Mark Milley, the US has already trained 200 Ukrainian soldiers to work on the HIMARS MLRS.“The geography is different now,” Lavrov said, naming the southern Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions as Russia’s latest objectives. Moscow’s forces already occupy parts of both regions. In sounds crazy, but in fact, Lavrov shed “crocodile tears” regarding threats for russian military on occupied Ukrainians territory.
The apparent expansion of Russia’s objectives was also noted on Tuesday by US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, who said Russia was already making plans to annex large swathes of Ukrainian territory. He accused Moscow of using a similar “playbook” to its takeover of Crimea, when it annexed the Ukrainian peninsula by organising a sham referendum in 2014. Mr Kirby said Russia was installing illegitimate pro-Russian officials to run occupied regions of Ukraine.
These new “administrations” would then organise local referendums on becoming part of Russia, possibly as soon as September. The results of the votes would be used by Russia “to try to claim annexation of sovereign Ukrainian territory”, Mr Kirby said. He said he was “exposing” the Russian plans “so the world knows that any purported annexation is premeditated, illegal and illegitimate”, and promised there would be a quick response from the US and its allies.
So, we see that the war, unfortunately, continues. That Russian troops are not leaving occupied territory. Obviously, after mentioned annexation without a response from the US and its allies soon the Kremlin will want peace talks, with a concomitant pause in the fighting, to secure its territorial gains, lighten the sanctions regime, rearm, train new soldiers, and plan a new phase of its war. Such an approach is unacceptable to Ukraine.
To thwart these plans, the sanctions, military aids for Ukraine must be increasing until the first acceptable result – Russia will have to withdraws its troops beyond the February 24, 2022, lines of conflict.
That means more needs to be done. Much more to protect Ukraine and protect Europe from this total evil that is destroying everything: memorials, churches, schools, hospitals, neighborhoods and all our businesses. Ukraine needs support that will help endure and defend life of the whole world.
