Fights continue
Stoltenberg: The Bachmut case would not be a turning point
3/8/2023 9:02 p.m
Ukrainian forces are still holding Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. The Russians report that they have now occupied large parts up to the river dividing the city. NATO Secretary General Stoltenberg fears that the city could fall in a few days.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has warned that the fiercely contested town of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine will soon be taken. “We cannot rule out that Bachmut will fall in the next few days,” said Stoltenberg. On the fringes of consultations with the EU defense ministers in Stockholm, the Norwegian said that taking Bakhmut would be “no turning point” in the Russian war of aggression. But it shows “that we should not underestimate Russia and that we must continue to support Ukraine.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned that if Russia captured Bakhmut, it would have “free rein” for further conquests. The Russian mercenary force Wagner had previously announced that they had taken the entire eastern part of Bakhmut.
According to Zelensky, a complete capture of Bakhmut would have not only symbolic but also strategic importance for Russia. “We are aware that they could go further after Bakhmut,” the Ukrainian president told US broadcaster CNN. The Russian troops would then have “free access to other Ukrainian cities, in the direction of Donetsk”. The Ukrainian armed forces are therefore determined to hold Bakhmut.
Wagner boss speaks up
Bachmut has been contested since last summer. In view of the fighting that has been going on for months, with heavy casualties on both sides, the city in the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk now has a high symbolic importance.
On the Russian side, the mercenaries of the Wagner group are particularly involved in the battle for Bakhmut. Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin said in an audio message that his units had now “taken the entire eastern part of Bakhmut, everything east of the river Bakhmutka, which divides the city in two”.
The EU defense ministers promised Ukraine more ammunition in Stockholm – but it is unclear where it will come from. “We will act quickly to meet Ukraine’s ammunition needs,” promised Swedish Minister Pal Jonson. The EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell spoke of a “basic agreement on a procedure”. But there are still a number of “open questions”. At the meeting, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov called for one million projectiles worth four billion euros so that Ukraine can continue to defend itself against the Russian attack.
Does Putin want a long war with breaks?
Despite the Russian advance on Bakhmut, the US does not expect Russia to make any major territorial gains in Ukraine this year. But Russian President Vladimir Putin has long-term plans, US intelligence coordinator Avril Haines said in the Senate. He apparently thinks a long war with intermittent pauses in the fighting is the best way to achieve “Russia’s strategic interests” in Ukraine – “even if it takes years.”
In the meantime, Selenskyj received UN Secretary-General António Guterres in Kiev. During his third visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the war, the main topic was an extension of the agreement negotiated by the UN on the export of Ukrainian grain. Extending the deal, which expires on March 18, is “crucial,” Guterres said. The agreement has helped lower global food prices, helping people in developing countries in particular. Zelenskyj said the agreement was important “for the whole world”.
Guterres also commented on a video circulating on the Internet that, according to Kiev, shows the shooting of a Ukrainian prisoner of war. Guterres said the “shocking images” were a “tragic” reminder to strictly comply with international law. The UN Human Rights Office had previously announced that the video appeared to be “authentic”.