#Putin "wins" #Russian elections after killing his opponent #Navalny.
Then escalates #Ukraine crisis.
Says #Russia would "create a certain 'sanitary zone' in the territories today under the #Kyiv regime" to defend territory Russia has already occupied.
He said such a zone might have to be big enough to preclude foreign made armaments from reaching "Russian territory."
So #Ukraine will need longer-range weapons, and then Putin will blame the West for supplying them.
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>> #Russia would "create a certain '#sanitaryZone' in the territories [currently] under the #Kyiv regime [sic]" to defend territory Russia has ALREADY occupied
>> So #Ukraine will need longer-range weapons, and then Putin will blame the West for supplying them.
No doubt blessed by the #SeniorPartner, at their #PutinXiMeeting, the #juniorPartner reiterated his plan to create “a buffer zone in Ukraine’s #Kharkiv” that he first enunciated 2 months ago.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-news-5-17-2024-ce31e2e73cbb8dd59aa73baa6cd87d68
Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow’s offensive on Ukraine’s Kharkiv aims to create a buffer zone but that there are no plans to capture the city. Meanwhile, Ukraine says it will allow prisoners to join the army’s depleted ranks. Putin has said in China that Moscow has launched attacks in the Kharkiv region, in response to the Ukrainian shelling of Russia’s Belgorod region. Russian authorities say a massive Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea has caused power cutoffs in the city of Sevastopol and set a refinery ablaze in southern Russia. Friday's drone raids marked Kyiv’s attempt to strike back during Russia’s offensive in northeastern Ukraine.
Ramesh #NotGoingBack