Many geopolitical pundits who are of the realism camp said from the start of the Ukraine war that it would be settled on the battlefield. Russia's military superiority has been evident to all - especially in the last two years of the conflict - which is of course why Kiev has remained totally reliant on military arms and aid from US-NATO countries.
This week as international press was focused on a flurry of diplomatic activity, which saw President Trump host France's Macron, the UK's Starmer, and Ukraine's Zelensky - all in quick succession, there hasn't been enough attention paid to developments on the battlefield in Ukraine's east.
While Zelensky was readying to make his last stand and 'confront' Trump at the White House - which of course did not go well at all - Ukrainian forces were steadily losing ground on the eastern frontline. Indeed Kiev forces were being beaten back at the very moment Zelensky and VP Vance were arguing in the Oval.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said at the moment all eyes were on Trump-Zelensky meeting that its forces were busy seizing two more villages along the eastern frontlines.
"Moscow on Saturday said it had seized two more villages in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv officials said Russian strikes had killed one person and wounded 19," AFP reports.
"The Russian defense ministry said its forces had captured Skudne and Burlatske in the south of the eastern Donetsk region," the report continues. This is just outside the town of Velyka Novossilka, which Russia captured at the end of January.
The Ukrainians have been steadily losing ground for months in Donetsk, but have continued efforts to strike Russian oil and gas facilities inside Russian territory, which hasn't made any level of a strategic difference in the war. Russia too has been sending drones on Ukrainian cities and infrastructure, with at least 150 launched overnight. Ukraine said it was able to down at least 100 of these inbound UAVs.
The Russian military and security services are also reportedly taking back ground in southern Kursk region, which has been occupied by Ukrainian forces since last August.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said Friday that four villages have been taken back in the Kursk region over the last week, with the village of Novaya Sorochina being the latest to be liberated.
And days ago the military announced it had recaptured the nearby villages of Pogrebki and Gorlovka, near Novaya Sorochina, and also the village of Nikolsky, toward the Sudzha direction.
This steady Russian progress has been well understood by the Trump White House, which is why during the Friday meeting Trump kept telling Zelensky that he has no more cards to play.
"You’re gambling with the lives of millions of people," Trump said. "You're gambling with World War III, and what you’re doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country that’s backed you far more than a lot of people say they should have."
In essence, everyone but Zelensky (and some European leaders, apparently), understands that there's no military solution to the conflict, and that greater Western military intervention seems a sure path to WW3. The 'solution' at this point is for Ukraine to negotiate and cede territory, or face total military defeat. Trump is now making crystal clear to all allies that any kind of US-NATO military intervention simply will never happen.
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