Keyword: stefanwolff https://freerepublic.com/tag/stefanwolff/ en-us Wed, 10 Jan 2024 01:13:04 GMT Focus Forum 15 Ukraine war increasingly seen as ‘fought by the poor’, as Zelensky raises taxes and proposes strict mobilisation laws https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4209024/posts After the failure of Ukraine’s 2023 counteroffensive, Kyiv finds itself at a major crossroads and with no easy options. The demand late last year by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, for the mobilisation of an additional 500,000 troops over the next few months signals both resolve and desperation. It will likely make Ukrainian domestic politics more fractious but it could also buy Zelensky time to reconsider his own endgame and how to get there. Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukraine’s armed forces have had a strength of around a million soldiers, with continuous regular mobilisation... The Conversation https://freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/4209024/posts#comment Wed, 10 Jan 2024 01:13:04 GMT