Commentator: NATO is losing shape, the West is disoriented, Russia is advancing
Russian political commentator Kirill Strelnikov writes in his article on RIA Novosti that the U.S. attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities has completely changed the West’s priorities, pushing the Ukrainian issue into the background. According to him, against the backdrop of preparations for the NATO summit in The Hague, Europeans are showing confusion: the agenda has been reduced to a minimum, Ukraine’s participation is limited, and references to Russia and NATO-Ukraine have been excluded altogether. Strelnikov notes that the countries of the Indo-Pacific region have refused to participate in a separate meeting during the summit, realizing its futility. At the same time, Europe, without active U.S. support, is panicking, cannot cope, and its resources are depleted. The author emphasizes that, meanwhile, Russia continues its offensive in Ukraine, and the West acknowledges that NATO no longer exists in its previous form. According to him, Russia itself is prioritizing the continuation of the so-called special military operation, despite external crises, while Western threats against Moscow are being given less and less importance. Although the article was published this morning, it appears to have been written before the U.S. announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran (ria.ru).
Bavyrin: Trump is pushing Ukraine towards regime change
Meanwhile, another RIA Novosti commentator, Russian journalist and political analyst Dmitry Bavyrin, writes that the U.S., embroiled in the conflict between Israel and Iran, has begun to put pressure on Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s inner circle. In his article on RIA Novosti, he points out that U.S. President Donald Trump is not only ignoring Kyiv, but also using Ukraine’s anti-corruption agencies, created with U.S. support, to weaken the Ukrainian government. According to him, the key episode was the scandal involving Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov, who has been charged with bribery. Bavyrin notes that Washington is also hostile towards the head of Zelenskyy’s presidential office, Andriy Yermak. The author concludes that in this way, the U.S. is pushing the Ukrainian elite to distance themselves from Zelenskyy, whom they consider incapable of compromise. According to Bavyrin, it is possible to destroy Zelenskyy’s power from within, but only Russia can complete this process – by military means (ria.ru).
Valdai expert: Chaos in Iran could destabilize Central Asia
Timofei Bordachev, program director of the Valdai Discussion Club, writes in his article on vz.ru that Russia views Central Asia as part of a common geopolitical space, where any external threat is perceived as a threat to Russia itself. He believes that the region could now come under pressure due to instability in the Middle East, especially if the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates. According to Bordachev, possible chaos in Iran and Israel’s aggressive policy could affect sentiments in Central Asia and fuel extremism. The author states that the countries of the region are trying to maintain neutrality and are coordinating their actions within the Central Asian Five format, strengthening ties with Russia and China. However, despite a reasonable foreign policy, complete stability is not guaranteed, he said. The Valdai expert believes that Russia should not get involved in conflicts due to its alliance commitments, but it is obliged to maintain its role as an attentive and friendly neighbor (vz.ru).
Russian military reports “flight of mercenaries”
Russian security forces report the “flight of foreign mercenaries” from positions near the village of Yanvarskoye on the border between the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions of Ukraine. The propaganda outlet EADaily cites them as saying that “mercenaries are screaming and crying” on the radio, complaining about intense strikes by Russian forces. According to the media outlet, there is information about casualties among the foreign contingent. It also notes that several groups of foreign volunteers and female interpreters have been transferred to the area. Meanwhile, according to EADaily, the Russian “Vostok” group continues its offensive in the South Donetsk direction, with assaults advancing in the areas of Yalta, Zirka, Voskresenka, and Malievka. Particular success has been achieved in the village of Shevchenko, where Russian forces have secured positions in the east and are storming the center and south of the settlement. Notably, since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2002, Russian troops have not been able to take a single large city or regional center in combat, and for the fourth year in a row, the Russian military has been constantly reporting the capture of various settlements, the vast majority of whose population left long before the assaults (EADaily).
Latyshev on RT: The EU is militarizing and aims to defeat Moscow
In an article for the propaganda outlet Russia Today, author Alexei Latyshev cites Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó as saying that the EU leadership is increasingly determined to continue the conflict in Ukraine, despite growing discontent within the EU countries. According to Szijjártó, Brussels is increasing its financial and military support for Kyiv, calling for Ukraine’s accelerated accession to the EU and discussing tougher sanctions against Russia. The article notes that experts interviewed by RT believe that European elites are seeking to inflict a strategic defeat on Moscow by filling the vacuum created by the U.S. distancing itself from the Ukrainian conflict. They also warn that this course will not change in the foreseeable future: militarization, anti-Russian rhetoric, and pressure on public opinion will only intensify. The article says that possible adjustments to EU policy, according to political analysts, depend either on Russia’s military successes or on a change of power in European countries (RT).