Free Republic

For those who understand the basics of attrition warfare, the outcome of the fight in Ukraine was obvious a long time ago. Russia's superior logistical position along with its grinding offensive tactics have worn down Ukraine's defenses and left the country with a desperate manpower shortage. The recent capture of the vital hub of Pokrovsk has now opened the door to an accelerating Russian advance. The Russian offensive is gaining significant ground from Pokrovsk to the north, all the way to Kupiansk. The strategic city of Siversk is now largely under control of Russia according to geo-location mapping. Myrnohrad, also...

In contrast to the warmongers, President Trump has continuously said, “I want everybody to stop dying.”So, what’s preventing peace? Russian President Putin offered peace December 25, 2022, January 6, 2023, and again on June 14, 2024, with TASS reporting Putin offered “another real peace proposal to Kiev,” stating, “These parameters were generally agreed upon by everyone back during the Istanbul talks in 2022.” Yet, all of these proposals were rejected by Zelensky, the Biden administration, and the Brennen-infested CIA.Remember, this mess started in 2014 with Biden and the CIA in Kyiv toppling the duly elected pro-Russian president of Ukraine, because...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy says the US has offered to create a "free economic zone" in the contested Donbas region of eastern Ukraine in a bid to push a peace deal over the line. The Donbas - an industrial and coal-mining area primarily made up of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions - has become one of the key sticking points in the US-proposed peace plan. The first draft of the plan, widely leaked last month, stipulated that Ukraine must withdraw from areas of the Donbas it currently controls, thought to be a minority portion, as a condition for peace. Ukraine considered that...

Putin gambled on Western hesitation, and now a war born of miscalculation grinds on because neither Moscow nor NATO is willing—or able—to force a decisive end. Why did the war in Ukraine start in 2021?As in 2008 and 2012, but unlike 2017 to 2021, Vladimir Putin sensed an American president would not or could not deter him, so he invaded a former Soviet republic. Under past presidents, Putin saw no downside to grabbing Ossetia, the Donbas, and Crimea. Putin was also led to believe the West or Joe Biden would not challenge him following the recent humiliating U.S. withdrawal from...

"...Ukrainian defensive line is collapsing and Russia is advancing at a very rapid pace now and that that advance is going to continue. There's nothing the West can do to stop it. The numbers are just against them. Uh right now according to the Russian Ministry of Defense they are inflicting a minimum of 40,000 casualties killed and wounded on Ukraine per month. In addition and you know as you know Institute for the Study of War and the Atlantic Council are not exactly what you'd call uh pro-Russian stooges. They're just the opposite. They are the most ardent cheerleaders...

Grok Summary of Video Transcript:In short, the draft is widely seen in Kyiv and Europe as a forced settlement that rewards Russian aggression and permanently weakens Ukraine, while Zelensky walks a tightrope: dependent on U.S. support, battered domestically, and unwilling to accept the proposed concessions without major changes and real security guarantees. A final deal remains distant.A leaked 28-point U.S.-drafted peace plan, negotiated directly between Washington and Moscow without Ukrainian or European involvement, has caused alarm in Kyiv and European capitals. Key elements of the proposal include:Ukraine formally cedes the occupied Donbas territories (most of Donetsk and Luhansk) to Russia.Permanent...

The leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom have welcomed the US effort to end the war in Ukraine but stressed that any agreement affecting Europe must involve its partners, underscoring sharp divergences with Washington's 28-point peace plan.In a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said they valued the Trump administration's push to broker an end to the conflict, a German government spokesman said.At the same time, the leaders underlined that "any agreement affecting European states, the European Union or NATO requires the...

BRUSSELS, Nov 17 (Reuters) - The European Commission on Monday proposed to EU governments three options to finance Ukraine in 2026 and 2027. EU leaders are expected to discuss which one to pick in December. Below are the options as spelled out by the Commission. WHAT ARE UKRAINE'S NEEDS? The International Monetary Fund and Ukrainian authorities estimate that Ukraine will need 135.7 billion euros for 2026–2027, if Russia stops its war against Kyiv by the end of 2026. Of that total, the country will need: 2026: 71.7 billion euros, of which 51.6 billion euros are for the military and 20.1...

When Europe goes to war with Russia, they will not require the military to fill out customs declarations as they cross borders within the EU.Tanks, missiles, artillery and most combat weapons could be exempt from EU customs declarations if the plan by Brussels moves forward.Additionally, under the proposal most drivers of military equipment may even be permitted to exceed the limits on driving times and rest periods, should the fight against Russia require extended physical effort.The newly proposed objective is to empower European soldiers to make independent decisions without having to fill out the customary paperwork, requiring prior approval from...

Russia would keep control of Donbas region in exchange for rental fee under US plan Ukraine could be forced to lease part of its territory to Russia under a US plan to end the war.The Trump administration deal would see Kyiv cede control of the eastern Donbas region, but maintain legal ownership. Russia would pay an undisclosed rental fee for de facto control of the region, officials familiar with the deal told The Telegraph.The 28-point plan was thrashed out between the US and Russia in a recent flurry of secretive talks, renewing fears that Ukraine is being frozen out of...

Prominent Ukrainian activist and volunteer Serhii Sternenko criticized his country's military and political leadership on Nov. 17, warning that "we are headed toward a disaster of strategic magnitude, which could lead to the loss of statehood." In an X post accompanied by screenshots of a critical Facebook post by a Ukrainian journalist, Sternenko stressed that remaining silent about the issues with Ukraine's military and political approach to the country's defense "is a crime." "Our defense is falling apart," Sternenko, who works closely with various military units to supply their immediate needs, such as drones, said. "Under a stunning silence about...

The Ship Has Sunk - The First Five Have Already Fled🏃‍♂️🛳️Massive Strike💥Military Summary 19.11.2025

Zelensky has been hit with an ugly corruption scandal in which some of his closest allies stand accused of war profiteering. His reaction was to sign a letter of intent to buy 100 French Rafale jets and 150 Swedish Gripen fighters. Kyiv doesn’t have enough to fill its $60bn budget black hole, let alone to buy billions in jets. Ukraine is going to run out of money by February unless the EU agrees to raise a €140bn loan secured against Russian assets held mostly in Belgium. It has no hope of repaying that loan unless the Kremlin is compelled to...

A ceasefire in Ukraine is unlikely before the spring and European allies need to keep up support despite a corruption scandal that has engulfed Kyiv, President Alexander Stubb of Finland told The Associated Press. Europe, meanwhile, will require ‘’sisu,’’ a Finnish word meaning endurance, resilience and grit, to get through the winter months, he said, as Russia continues its hybrid attacks and information war across the continent. Stubb also needs that quality as one of the key European interlocutors between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. As the leader of one of Europe’s smaller countries, but one...

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said he is not “afraid” of Donald Trump unlike other western leaders and dismissed reports that their last meeting in Washington was volatile, adding that he had good relations with the US president. He also said in an exclusive interview with the Guardian that King Charles had helped build relations with Trump and described the British monarch as “very supportive” of Ukraine. The Ukrainian president denied claims Trump had tossed maps of the battlefield aside in a stormy exchange in October at the White House, where he had arrived hoping to secure supplies of US Tomahawk cruise...

Another meeting between President Donald Trump and President Volodymyr Zelensky has reportedly ended with a fiery shouting match—this time behind closed doors.Trump was pressuring his Ukrainian counterpart to accept Russia’s terms for a ceasefire during an explosive White House meeting on Friday, according to the Financial Times, reportedly telling Zelensky that Russia would “destroy” Ukraine if he didn’t agree.Multiple sources told the outlet that the meeting—where Zelensky was hoping, but ultimately failed, to secure long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles—quickly descended into a “shouting match” with “cursing all the time.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that President Donald Trump’s ability to successfully negotiate a peace agreement between Israel and Hamas provides hope for an end to the Russia-Ukraine war. In a social media post on Saturday, the Ukrainian leader reported a “very positive and productive” call with President Trump. He said that he congratulated Trump on his success in the Middle East, “which is an outstanding achievement.” “If a war can be stopped in one region, then surely other wars can be stopped as well—including the Russian war,” Zelensky wrote in English on X and Facebook. The Middle-Eastern peace deal...

Killzone🔴Gas Transportation Infrastructure Under Attack💥Southern Pokrovsk On The Brink🔥MS 2025.10.03

Washington authorizes specific instances where Ukraine can carry out long-range strikes within Russia, U.S. Special Envoy to Ukraine Keith Kellogg said on Sept. 28 in an interview with Fox News. "The answer is yes, use the ability to hit deep, there are no such things as sanctuaries," Kellogg replied when asked if it is U.S. President Donald Trump's position that Ukraine can conduct long-range strikes. -snip- The final decision on whether Ukraine may conduct long-range strikes within Russia falls to Trump on a case-by-case basis, Kellogg noted. As Ukraine develops long-range missiles and drones of its own, Kyiv continues to...

“Dare to Ukraine” is The Kyiv Independent’s wartime travel series that shows the country beyond the war headlines. In Episode 4 of “Dare to Ukraine: Village,” Masha’s quiet rural routine is interrupted by a new mission: uncover the local history and debunk Russian propaganda myths about Ukraine. What starts as a simple day in the countryside turns into a journey through Ukraine’s past and present — proving that even the smallest villages and communities carry stories of independence that shatter Russian lies."