With Russia continuing its special military operation in Ukraine, it is safe to say that Kiev’s much-hyped counteroffensive kicked off with “not really a good start," international relations and security analyst Mark Sleboda said.
President Vladimir Putin announced earlier this week that Kiev's use of strategic reserves during recent attacks means it can be "stated with absolute certainty" that the much-anticipated counteroffensive had begun.
He stressed that thus far, Ukrainian forces have failed to achieve their objectives and that their advance-related plans had been thwarted by Russian troops.
All this “has got to be extremely frustrating” not only for the political figures of the Kiev regime, but for US President Joe Biden as well, given his murky past regarding Ukraine, Sleboda pointed out, claiming that the POTUS “has been intimately involved with Ukraine since the Obama presidency.”
The analyst was apparently referring to Biden facing allegations that he was purportedly engaged in a spate of corrupt activities related to the employment of his son Hunter Biden by the Ukrainian gas company Burisma while he was the US vice president under Barack Obama.
Biden has repeatedly rejected the allegations that he withheld loan guarantees to pressure Ukraine into firing a prosecutor to prevent a corruption investigation into Burisma and protect his son.
Sleboda recalled in this regard that a US news outlet recently claimed that “Biden's reputation is on the line in Ukraine," which, he said, is “an interesting political salvo at POTUS considering the situation."
Touching upon the counteroffensive, the analyst said that while the Ukrainian military “hasn’t committed the majority of their forces yet, everything they've thrown so far has failed to breach Russian lines for any significant period at any place for an entire week now.”
“That has got to have him (Biden) worried if his political legacy is on the line," Sleboda underscored.
“From everything that we have seen so far, I expect them to make some headway eventually, but they're not off to a really good start.
“I expect some dirty tricks, some cunning maneuver to be pulled out of the bag," Sleboda concluded.
For more in-depth analysis of current affairs, check out Sputnik Radio's Political Misfits.
Watch Russian Warship Fight Off Ukrainian Naval Drone Attack
Having suffered setbacks during its “counteroffensive” on land, the regime in Kiev likewise failed to achieve success in its latest endeavors at sea.
A new video released by Russia’s Ministry of Defense shows a futile attempt by Ukrainian forces to attack the Priazovye, an intelligence-gathering vessel of the Russian Black Sea Fleet.
The attack occurred about 300 kilometers southeast of the Russian port of Sevastopol. The Russian vessel sustained no damage during the incident.
Most Countries Side With Russia in Ukraine Conflict While US's Credibility Slips - Hersh
Most of the world's population supports Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, while the United States lost its credibility, Pulitzer Prize-winning US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh said on Sunday.
"The percentage of the (countries), particularly of the African and Central Asian and South Asian countries, that have changed from being pro-America to being pro-Russia is really quite dramatic. Much more than a half of the world's population supports Russia in the war and not the United States. This was never the way it was," Hersh said in an interview with talk show host George Galloway.
The journalist opined that "things are not as good as they used to be in Russia" amid Western sanctions, but "the idea that they are desperate is just wrong."
Hersh also argued that Washington "lost so much credibility around the world," citing Saudi Arabia's diplomatic rapprochement with Iran as an example.
"It's happened because, I think, because of Ukraine and dislike of the war. Saudi Arabia, by the way, they're selling 25% of (their) oil to China, as I have mentioned, but the Saudis immediately cut a deal. And the Iranians immediately responded … They have a lot of control in Yemen over the Houthi tribes," Hersh said.
Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, following calls for help from the breakaway republics of Donetsk and Luhansk. The world has split into those who support Moscow and accuse NATO of provoking the conflict, and those who condemn Russia's actions and impose sanctions on the country, while also ramping up their financial and military aid to Kiev. Some countries have avoided taking sides in the conflict.
No comments:
Post a Comment