Russian President Vladimir Putin used a major patriotic holiday Monday to again justify his war in Ukraine but did not declare even a limited victory or signal where the conflict was headed, as his forces continued to pummel targets across the country with few signs of significant progress.
ZAPORIZHZHIA, Ukraine -- Russian President Vladimir Putin used his country's biggest patriotic holiday Monday to again justify his war in Ukraine but did not declare even a limited victory or signal where the conflict is headed, as his forces pressed their offensive with few signs of progress.
He steered clear of battlefield specifics, failing to mention the potentially pivotal battle for the vital southern port of Mariupol and not even uttering the word"Ukraine." He also sought to depict the offensive underway for control of the Donbas region in the east - Moscow's focus after its abortive attempt to storm the capital, Kyiv - as a fight on Russia's"historic lands." He has long sought to deny Ukraine's own 1,000-year history.
"Without concrete steps to build a new force, Russia can't fight a long war, and the clock starts ticking on the failure of their army in Ukraine," tweeted Phillips P. O'Brien, professor of strategic studies at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "Very soon there will be two Victory Days in Ukraine," he said in a video. He added:"We are fighting for freedom, for our children, and therefore we will win."
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