KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russia’s deputy defense minister said that Moscow has decided to “fundamentally … cut back” operations near the capital and another major city to “increase mutual trust” at talks aimed at ending the fighting.
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Alexander Fomin said Russian forces would cut back “military activity in the direction of Kyiv and Chernihiv.”
Fomin’s statement comes Tuesday after another round of talks Russia and Ukraine held in Istanbul and appears to be the first major concession the Russians made since the beginning of their invasion in Ukraine more than a month ago.
The Ukrainian general staff of the military said earlier it had noted withdrawals around Kyiv and Chernihiv.
Wonder why, guess because they are very peace loving….
Considering their history, it’s not what the Russians say that matters but what they actually do.
“Trust us.”
Sounds to me like Russia are changing their war aims, will give up on Kiev, and redouble their efforts to get control of the land corridor from Rostov, through the north of Azov (cities of Kherson, Melitopol, Mariupol) to Crimea.
Needless to say, Russians intend to hold on to Crimea and Donbas (Lugansk and Donetsk) to make them an “independent” state, which will voluntarily join Russia and will be annexed by it in no time.
It remains to be seen whether Russians give up on Zaporozhie, Dnepropetrovsk, and Odesa. I predict they will, at least for now.
So my wish of splitting Ukraine into two – East and West – is indeed playing out, although not along the line (Dnepr river) I envisioned.