Pentagon press secretary John Kirby on Tuesday highlighted that the US does not believe that Russia will relax its offensive on Ukrainian capital Kyiv. Kirby while speaking to the press said that the US believes that Russia could be merely repositioning its forces and said that it is too early to say anything until a significant pullback occurs from the Russian side.
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations met on Tuesday in Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace to discuss de-escalation and means to end the war on Ukraine. Following the meeting, both sides called talks in Istanbul “meaningful” and “positive” which was different from the outcomes of the previous meetings.
“We believe that this is a repositioning, not a real withdrawal, and that we all should be prepared to watch for a major offensive against other areas of Ukraine. Russia has failed in its objective of capturing Kyiv. It’s failed in its objective of subjugating Ukraine. But they can still inflict massive brutality on the country,” Kirby was quoted as saying by news agency Axios.
Kirby was referring to Russia’s recent admission that the focus of the ‘military operation’ will lie on ‘liberating’ Donbas, one of Ukraine’s largest regions and home to the city of Donetsk. Russia will also focus on Crimea and other coastal regions of Ukraine around the Black Sea.
People familiar with the developments told news agency Axios that the Russian military could bring in reinforcements and replenish their munitions, weapons and other military facilities while a temporary ceasefire is in place.
The situation could exacerbate if the US and the west also use this opportunity to further arm Ukrainian resistance against the Russian forces. The war, according to military experts, would be prolonged but US president Joe Biden signalled that the US and allies will continue to provide Ukraine with ‘capacity to defend themselves’. “We’ll see if they follow through on what they are suggesting. We’re going to continue to keep strong sanctions and provide the Ukrainian military with the capacity to defend themselves,” Biden was quoted as saying by Axios.
The Russian and Ukrainian delegations will meet again after two weeks.
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