Two years into the war, Ukraine has suffered a significant setback with the fall of Avdiivka. However, neither this defeat nor the failure of its counter-offensive has led to calls for peace, either from its rulers or western allies

All indications are that the US strategy through this year is to ‘hold, build and strike’ at Russia. Meanwhile, Moscow’s best option would be to create a buffer that keeps Russian territories out of reach of game-changing western medium and long-range missiles

Ukraine had accused Russia of providing funding to the anti-Kyiv movement in Donbass region calling it “terrorism” and discriminating against Tatar and Ukrainian minorities in annexed Crimea

Putin’s message is that any new Western narrative on the war is doomed to meet with the same fate as the previous one unless there is realism that Russia cannot be militarily defeated and its legitimate interests are recognized

Zelensky’s political future will be crucially affected by the decision taken by the US senate apropos USD 60 billion in additional aid for Ukraine

The US is considering sending ATACMS long-range missiles that Ukraine has been asking for a long time with the capability to strike deep inside Russian territory. The most provocative part is that NATO reconnaissance platforms, both manned and unmanned, will be used in such operations, making the US a virtual co-belligerent

77-year-old veteran communist and anti-fascist activist Georgi Buiko was arrested by the Ukrainian Secret Service (SBU) on August 16. He is accused of participating in “anti-Ukrainian activities” and possessing communist and “pro-Russian” publications

Mexico refused to join the talks scheduled in Saudi Arabia to gather support for Ukraine’s peace plan as Russia had not been invited. President Zelensky’s plan involves Russian withdrawal from all Ukrainian territories, including Crimea, payment of war reparations, and trials in a war tribunal

President Vladimir Putin’s video conference with the permanent members of the Security Council in Moscow last Friday and his meeting with Belarus President Belarus Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg on Sunday provide glimpses into Russia’s perspective at this point of time

The NATO Summit in Vilnius signaled that there is absolutely no possibility of talks to settle the Ukraine war in the foreseeable future. The war will only intensify, as the US and its allies still hope to inflict a military defeat on Russia although that is clearly beyond their capability

The warning comes following Ukraine’s attempts to revive the Black Sea grain deal without Russia. Ukraine is pitching a proposal that involves other countries providing protection to ships carrying its grain

Millions of people have been affected by the use of cluster munitions by the US in countries like Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Afghanistan, and Iraq, even years after the wars have ended. The same plight awaits civilians in the current war zone in Ukraine