(Photo : MIKHAIL KLIMENTYEV)
Vladimir Putin declares that he has "no" regrets over the conflict in Ukraine and warns that any direct conflict between NATO and Russian forces might result in a "global catastrophe."
Ukraine's intelligence head said Vladimir Putin may try to split the nation if a bungled invasion fails to remove the government as Russia intends to divide Ukraine into a European analogue of North and South Korea.
Vladimir Putin's inability to conquer Kyiv and destroy the government might indicate that he is attempting to split the nation, according to Kyrylo Budanov. His remarks came after a separatist territory in eastern Ukraine announced its intention to organize a vote on joining Russia.
Vladimir Putin Wants "Korean scenario" in Ukraine
Following the end of WWII, the Korean Peninsula was partitioned, resulting in the 1950-53 Korean War, which pitted China-backed Communist troops against the US and UK-backed South Korean forces. The Russian president justified the invasion of Ukraine by accusing Kyiv of plotting crimes against the Luhansk People's Republic and the Donetsk People's Republic, which seceded from Ukraine during the 2014 conflict, as per The Telegraph.
The Kremlin acknowledged its independence just before the conflict broke out this year, but the Luhansk People's Republic has now announced that it will organize a vote to join Russia. The Russian government took Crimea in 2014, but it has yet to reply to the possibility of enabling the Luhansk People's Republic to join Russia. But both separatist entities have the right to join Russia, according to a Russian lawmaker.
In response to the referendum in Luhansk, Ukraine's foreign ministry stated that fabricated votes were illegal under international law. Russia's conflict in Ukraine has taken a serious turn for the worse. Rather than an easy and magnificent victory of the entire nation and the installation of a pro-Moscow administration, Western intelligence professionals believe Putin may have to settle for control of only a portion of the country.
Last month, Vladimir Putin declared the eastern districts of Luhansk and Donetsk "independent," where pro-Russian rebels began battling Ukrainian soldiers in 2014. Putin exploited the ostensible defense of two eastern Ukrainian districts as a pretext to launch his brutal invasion of Ukraine.
Ukraine, which claims to be battling for its survival against what it sees as Russia's imperialistic land grab, has stated repeatedly that it would never consent to Russia's annexation of its territory, which is the most difficult component of peace talks with Moscow. Ukraine stated that a referendum on occupied Ukrainian territory would have no legal basis and would provoke a strong response from the international community, furthering Russia's isolation.
Meanwhile, the General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Soldiers stated on Sunday that Ukrainian forces in Luhansk repelled seven Russian strikes and destroyed multiple tanks and armored vehicles, Daily Mail reported.
Zelensky Accuses West of Cowardice
As his nation tries to stave off Russia's invading soldiers, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused the West of cowardice, issuing a frustrated plea for fighter aircraft and tanks to continue a defense as the war devolved into a battle of attrition.
Zelenskyy lashed out Sunday at the West's "ping-pong about who and how should hand over jets" and other weapons while Russian missile attacks kill and trap civilians, speaking after US President Joe Biden said in a stinging speech that Russian President Vladimir Putin could not stay in power - words the White House quickly sought to downplay.
Oksana Markarova, Ukraine's ambassador to the United States, said Ukraine had heard Biden "loud and clear." Russia's invasion of Ukraine, now on its 32nd day, has paused in many areas. Its plan to swiftly encircle Kyiv and compel its capitulation has failed due to tenacious Ukrainian resistance, which has been strengthened by armaments supplied by the US and other Western allies.
On Sunday, Zelenskyy signed a bill prohibiting reporting on unannounced or unapproved military troop and equipment movements. Journalists who break the law face jail sentences ranging from three to eight years. The regulation makes no distinction between Ukrainian and international journalists, as per Fox News.
Related Article: Russia-Ukraine War: Vladimir Putin, Moscow Scale Back War Goals as Military Forces Stall Near Kyiv
