Hodges: Nobody believes that if Russia gets that last bit of Donbas they will be satisfied and stop.
I’ve listened to Putin, Medvedev. They haven’t backed down on anything. Why should anybody think that’s all they wanted? 1/
Hodges: I can’t imagine Putin admitting his war was a huge mistake. Maybe people say, “You are destroying us.” Or maybe he doesn’t know what’s going on.
For years we were told the ex-KGB officer is smart, playing three-dimensional chess. If he doesn’t know, that’s his fault. 2/
Hodges: Casualties don’t matter to Putin. What matters is whether he can stay in power and whether the economy can generate enough money to keep the war going.
That’s why destroying Russia’s oil and gas infrastructure is a good strategy. 3/
Hodges: Putin is confident the US will do nothing to stop him and that Europe will not fill the gap.
He will keep going until he is forced to realize that Europe and Canada are with Ukraine and will give it what it needs to defeat Russia. 4/
Hodges: The best way to protect Europe is to make sure Ukraine wins.
Not one German, British or Polish soldier would have to die if Ukraine gets everything it needs. If Ukraine fails, Russia could be ready within a year or two to attack Latvia or Lithuania. 5X
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In Geneva, Ukraine tries to prevent Russia from getting Donbas but to no avail.
The latest round of talks ended without progress, as Moscow demands Kyiv hand over a 50×40 mile strip of territory in Donetsk as the price for ending the war. — NYT 1/
Russia wants a strip of land about 50 miles long and 40 miles wide between the frontline and the administrative border of Donetsk region, covering dozens of towns and villages.
Ukraine refuses to withdraw unilaterally. 2/
Kyiv argues that ceding land would embolden Russia to attack again, either in Ukraine or elsewhere.
Zelenskyy: “Allowing the aggressor to take something is a big mistake.” 3/
Ukrainian soldiers survive –25°C this winter — United24.
On the Sumy front, frozen trenches, failing engines, and constant drone surveillance define daily combat.
Commander “Bull”: “You’d doze off… open your eyes, and the snow had already covered you.” 1/
The temperature drops to –25°C. At dawn, 8 km from Russian positions, anti-drone netting covers Ukrainian artillery.
Snow hides positions and exposes them. Footprints can give coordinates away within minutes. 2/
Bull commands an artillery unit of the 47th Mechanized Brigade. “The first two days without heating are manageable. But by the third or fourth day at –10°C, it gets really hard. Frostbite becomes real.” 3/
A 15-year-old Yana wakes under rubble in Kyiv. A North Korean KN-23 missile hit her home. Inside that missile were Western components — including British-made converters.
Despite sanctions, Russia and others receive components for their weapons — The Telegraph. 1/
On April 24, 2025, 12 civilians were killed in their sleep in Kyiv. Yana’s parents and brother died. Her ribs and leg were shattered.
Zelenskyy said the missile contained 116 Western-made components. Sanctions exist. Yet the parts keep flowing. 2/
From 2022 to 2024, XP Power-labelled shipments worth $2.5M were imported into Russia. Nearly half moved via Hong Kong middlemen.
Dual-use electronics — as useful in a computer as in a ballistic missile. 3/