(RepublicanInformer.com)- Russian President Vladimir Putin’s much-anticipated Triumph Day address contained no pronouncement of victory in Ukraine or announcements of new mobilizations despite Western expectations.
In his speech from Moscow on Monday, May 9, a day that celebrated Russia’s defeat of Nazi Germany, Putin did not use the prideful day as an excuse for escalation, as some Western leaders had feared.
Putin blamed the West for generating “threats” at Russia’s doorstep to justify Russia’s military invasion of Ukraine. He said these justified actions many in the West think of as war crimes.
Putin chose not to push the limit with his speech due to the Russian military’s shortcomings in the conflict and perhaps frightened of the potential internal ramifications.
On Monday, the Russian military’s posture in the Donbas was described as “unsuccessful” by a senior US defense official, adding that they haven’t made any significant advance along the axes they expected to make in the northern Donbas.
Russia is still experiencing many of the same issues which plagued its troops since the military incursion began on Feb. 24. The US defense official said that Mid-grade officers at various levels, even up to the battalion level, have refused to accept instructions or are not obeying them with the same amount of enthusiasm.
According to Georgetown University professor Matt Kroenig, Putin broadened the scope of the battle since he already had his hands full in the Donbas and would have been “biting off more than he can chew.”
Mark Cancian, a senior consultant at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that the major news from Putin’s address was that there was no news. He said Putin didn’t make any of the statements the US feared because it would have meant rewriting a significant component of his war narrative.
Putin accused NATO and the West of creating threats on our borders and preparing to invade our territory.
US Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan said that even the Russian propaganda machine couldn’t back up President Putin’s triumph claim. This is not the first time Russia’s aims in Ukraine have been foiled.
Sullivan said that this demonstrates, at the very least, the Russian government’s propensity to say anything to excuse the inexcusable, which is their aggressive assault in Ukraine. Innocents are being slaughtered around the beleaguered country, tragedies that are hard to understand.
