“We just want to liberate Donbass” – Corriere.it

He never said it, but from the way he set it up in the beginning, itSpecial military operation in Ukraine It certainly aimed to occupy a large part of the neighboring country and overthrow its legitimate government to establish a more friendly regime. Then things went as we know and Russian President Vladimir Putin He decided to focus the efforts of his army in southeastern Ukraine and to target, at least in the first stage, limited targets. And now? Russia wants to secure itself control of Donbass And the southern coastal strip? Or he is still thinking of taking his tanks to the streets of Kyiv to testify Zelensky?

Today’s war news

The Americans are convinced that the head of the Kremlin “still wants to take over most of Ukraine,” says Avril Haines, the head of national intelligence. Neighbors are more worried and are considering expansionist goals beyond Ukraine. From the Baltic states to Moldova, which is pressing for a NATO umbrella as quickly as possible. And the Russian Establishment Figures They do nothing to calm the situation, quite the contrary. Every day they are released as well incendiary statements Who participate in any episode of threatening and promising stunts by the Russian army.

Dmitry Rodionov, an outstanding political scientist, is convinced that Chisinau has become a pawn in the West. According to him, the Ukrainians could attack Transnistria, which has been autonomous since the 1990s. Thus, Kyiv will open the second front to weaken the Russian forces. Then the Vice-President of the Federation Council Konstantin Kosachev took over the presidency of Oslo because of this Norway has blocked a supply convoy sent from Moscow to Russian miners working on the Svalbard Islandsin the Arctic Ocean. The parliamentarian argues that the 1920 agreement providing for the freedom of signatories (including, therefore, Russia) to exploit the archipelago’s resources has been violated. It asks to deprive Norway of sovereignty over those territories.

On the other hand, Putin appears to be more moderate than he has been in recent days. In response to a question, he specified that with regard to Ukraine, the initial goal is “always the same”. Of course, in his opinion, it was not to overthrow the government of the former Soviet Republic. “The ultimate goal has been set in Donbass editIn defense of these populations and in creating conditions that ensure the security of Russia itself. ”

So, it seems understandable that there is no more “discrediting Ukraine,” as the Kremlin initially said. But What are the terms of warranty for Moscow security? Certainly Ukraine’s neutrality (there is no NATO, which Zelensky already accepted) and disarmament. But then Putin also demands that NATO stop expanding and pledge not to create “important” military facilities in countries that entered after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Brussels does not give official assurances about this, and so far it has always avoided creating new institutions. But in Madrid, NATO countries decided to send troops to Romania.

In the future, things could also go wrong Moscow continues to raise the specter of the use of nuclear weapons. Tactical atomic bombs that can be used, perhaps in an uncrowded area of ​​the sea, to persuade an opponent to surrender.