The Ukraine military that faced Russia in 2014 is not the same one that Russian President Vladimir Putin faces now. Although America will not be sending troops, we have been sending in vast quantities of military armament and military trainers in previous months.
It seems President Biden had a heads-up when he visited Pope Francis on October 29, 2021, according to The LA Times. And that gave him some time to ramp up military weapons and training for the Ukrainian military.
CNN reported on Ukraine’s military’s status:
‘The General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has claimed five Russian aircraft and a helicopter were shot down early Thursday, as Russian forces attacked Ukraine. The war is not going well for Russian President Vladimir Putin at this point.’
The Ukrainian Defense Ministry said that “heavy fighting” was underway in the Kharkiv area and in the regions close to the separatist-held areas in eastern Ukraine, according to Radio Free Europe
‘The enemy suffered losses in troops and equipment. Our troops regained full control over the towns of Mariupol and Shchastya…. At least six planes, two helicopters, and tens of armored vehicles of the enemy were destroyed.’
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy tweeted, as the Associated Press (AP) reported:
‘Russia has embarked on a path of evil, but Ukraine is defending itself and won’t give up its freedom.’
Radio Free Europe said that in addition to the Russian military’s significant losses, Ukraine closed its airspace to civilians:
‘[O]n February 24 while Europe’s aviation regulator warned about hazards to flying in bordering regions. Moldova, southwest of Ukraine, also closed its airspace, while Belarus to the north said civilian flights could no longer fly over part of its territory after Putin authorized the military operation.’
The Ukrainian president urged citizens to fight:
‘Zelenskyy, meanwhile, urged Ukrainians to step up to defend their country and promised to provide them with weapons if they did so.’
At the same time Ukraine’s foreign minister asked other countries for:
‘Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba tweeted urging other countries to impose tough sanctions on Russia immediately and to provide Ukraine with military and financial support.’
According to Radio Free Europe, the Ukrainians said this is one of Europe’s “darkest times since 1939,”
‘Right now, Putin is plunging Europe into its darkest time since 1939. Any government hoping to sit this out is naive. Don’t repeat mistakes of the past.’
President Biden said that the Russian attack was an “unprovoked and unjustified” attack on Ukraine and said the world would “hold Russia accountable.”
The European Union is responding, too. President of the European Commission Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen released a statement that read:
‘With this package [of sanctions], we will target strategic sectors of the Russian economy by blocking their access to key technologies and markets, We will weaken Russia’s economic base and its capacity to modernize.’
Radio Free Europe added that “Ukraine has wanted to join NATO ever since Russia seized its Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed separatists in its eastern provinces.”
Featured image is a screenshot via YouTube.
Three White Lions political book, now available on Amazon’s Kindle-Vella. She also writes for the liberal online newspaper The Bipartisan Report. Gloria Christie Report her newsletter for people on the go. Written in her own unique style with a twist of humor in a briefer version of Bipartisan Report. Christie’s Mueller Report Adventures In Bite-Sizes a real-life compelling spy mystery (in process). Find her here on Facebook.
