Russian President Vladimir Putin has given a rare public press conference highlighting the challenges and successes of his war in Ukraine, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Putin’s speech seemed mostly defensive in nature, talking of securing its border to prevent further . While taking a defensive approach rhetorically is a common tactic to seem reasonable in a diplomatic argument, it also underscores that Russia’s initial regime change plan fro last year is definitely buried.
Instead Putin talked about securing borders, which include the two unrecognized republics in Southeastern Ukraine. A focus on internal security, spearheaded by the FSB and National Guard, shows a continuum of forces that characterize Russia’s bureaucratic fragmentation but also the mix of
Putin also claimed 54 destroyed Russian tanks, against 160 for the Ukraine, a figure to be taken with a grain of salt considering the high number of advanced NATO tanks in Ukraine’s shock troops. In another article, the Wall Street Journal also reported that the US is about to send depleted uranium rounds to Ukraine, a highly effective anti-Tank round.
Putin acknowledging the counterattack is also important, as so much in this war has been reported on by each side but almost never in agreement. Depending on if these numbers are true, Ukraine attack could be succeeding or failing, a crucial turning point in Kyiv’s attempt to reclaim its land.
