Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Ukraine would continue to defend the eastern Donetsk city of Bakmut but “not at any price,” signaling that Ukrainian forces might be considering a withdrawal.
“Yes, it is not a particularly big town. In fact, like many others in Donbas, (it’s been) devastated by the Russians. It is important for us to defend it, but not at any price and not for everyone to die,” Zelensky said in an interview published Sunday, according to Reuters.
Bakhmut’s pre-war population was about 70,000, but now Ukrainian officials estimate only about 5,000 people live in the city. Russian and Ukrainian forces have been locked in fighting over Bakhmut for months, and Ukraine has taken heavy casualties defending the area.
Since Russian forces captured the small mining town of Soledar, which is just a few miles northeast of Bakhmut, Russia has continued to make gains in the area and is now close to encircling the city. Ukraine’s Western backers have said they think Kyiv has been wasting too many resources on defending Bakhmut and want them to focus elsewhere.
In another sign that Ukraine might be considering leaving Bakhmut, The New York Times reported last week that Ukraine had banned civilians and aid groups from entering the city. The report said the move could be a prelude to a Ukrainian withdrawal from the area.
Ukrainian officials still maintain that they want to recapture all the territory Russia controls, including Crimea. Oleksiy Danilov, the head of Ukraine’s National Security and Defence Council, said over the weekend that the war won’t be over until “our tanks will be parked on Moscow’s Red Square.”
Why doesn’t Zelensky volunteer his family and kids to the front lines to defend Bakhmut? Stop volunteering your people to the meat grinder while you pose for photoshoots on Vogue.
Z will flee Ukraine to the US once the Russians establish themselves in the East protecting the Russian Speaking Ukrainians .
Protecting? Lol.
You drank that Kremlin Cool Aid too?
The hate is strong with this one. This is why I do not respect your views. Bye.
Yeah, bye and stay gone.
Presidents, including Putin, don’t normally volunteer their families to the frontlines when their country, in this case Ukraine, has been invaded by a larger force trying to steal their land.
But why don’t they? If this war is so important to US national security and the ‘defense of democracy’ (LOL that one always gives me a chuckle) shouldn’t those calling the loudest for war be the first to sign up? And, if the Ukraine is so precious, why aren’t those millions of people who fled coming back to defend their country? When the dust settles, however it settles, I would be ashamed to be a Ukrainian who fled and didn’t fight when my grand kids ask me, “What did you do during the war?” If the Ukraine isn’t important enough for its own people to fight for it- yes, women too- then why are we even bothering?
The NATO lackeys can give Z all the arms he wants , the bottom line is he dosen`t have the infantry numbers to hold the ground they take , the fact is Ukraine is losing and if Z had any say in the war he would sue for peace .
Well, his total mobilization is approaching 2 million; far more than Russia has mobilized; one wonders where all those men are since Ukraine keeps claiming they are “outnumbered”. In fact, Ukraine has had a significant numerical advantage (in terms of manpower) since Day 1.
That’s false, Where you get that figure from?
They could have 2 millions on paper but not operational.
Well, that’s a keenly thought-out statement. “We’ll fight till we don’t”. I would NOT want to be a Ukrainian soldier expected to fight to the death today with the understanding that maybe tomorrow we’ll be withdrawing. Errrr….”You go first”.
Ukrainians can ‘regroup’ too. If the battle is not worth the losses, you pull back and live to fight another day on better terms. Luckily, you aren’t in the frontlines so don’t worry about it.
All well and good but Ukraine would need significant resources for a counter attack.
Yes, that is well known.
Well that’s a stupid comment. Thanks for that! But to the specifics; If the battle isn’t “worth the cost” you don’t keep pouring troops into the meatgrinder; and you don’t ‘concentrate your forces in the town when the real threat is coming from the flanks. And you’re not there either; so enjoy your goat milk latte while fighting at the keyboard.
Stupid comment to you. You can’t talk much about this, you and your analyses suck.
Need I remind you your “HIMARS HIMARS HIMARS is just a hype” and “Ukraine will never take Kherson”
Great record on your military warfare skills and analysis.
They didn’t take Kherson Oblast, and they won’t. They took Kherson city, after the Russians withdrew across the river which is a smart tactical move, although played up as some kind of victory by the partisan mob. And “HIMARS” IS a hype; it changed nothing, it’s just another long range weapon system, as used by both sides – what “significant game changer” do you attribute to it? What “predictions” have you made that have come true? My prediction; Russia holds what it has taken, secures the rest of Donetsk, and eventually there is a negotiated settlement; only question is how much more destruction gets visited on Ukrainian infrastructure (from both sides) first.
That’s exactly what the Russians did in Izium, Lyman and Kherson City, and for that they were endlessly criticized by people like you. It’s also worth noting that in all three of those instances the Russians inflicted massive losses on the Ukrainians while they were leaving, while taking minimal losses themselves. And now the Russians are in the process of regaining some of that territory they lost.
Then good luck with your team.
They’re not my team. But I believe that they are justified in what they are doing. NATO fanboy.
Yes, because any country is free to invade any country and steal their land these days under false excuses, Putin Fanboy.
No, that’s not true. But nothing will convince a Russophobic troll like you. So believe whatever stupid things you want.
And I have a much higher opinion of the Russian leadership, particularly Putin and Lavrov, than I do of any western leaders.
It’s an honor to have you downvote my comments.
Did Zelensky clear this with Washington?
How about $25?
“….the war won’t be over until “our tanks will be parked on Moscow’s Red Square.”
I hope that Biden gave him a good talking-to while he was in Kiev.