Ukraine’s Strategic Chasiv Is Backing Out, Orban’s Trip to Moscow Creates Unrest in the EU (Bor, Day 863)

Ukrainian troops were forced to withdraw from a district on the outskirts of Chasiv Yarin, a strategic location in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, due to Russian pressure, a Ukrainian military spokesman said. The city was deserted as Moscow advanced to conquer the once-populous city of 12,000.

Because of its location on high ground, a Russian victory would endanger neighboring cities, compromise the operation of essential supply routes to Ukraine, and bring Russian forces closer to their goal of taking full control of Ukraine.

Unlike around Kharkiv, the second-largest Ukrainian city, where Russian military movements have slowed in recent weeks, Moscow has been making slow but steady advances in the east as it maintains a significant troop advantage. In an interview with the BBC, Lieutenant General Anton Bayev of the Guardia Brigade of the Ukrainian National Guard characterized the Russian operations as “meat attacks” because they send several army units every few hours to attack Ukrainian defense positions.

“They use these units to see where our shooting equipment is and to wear out our soldiers,” says an army officer. This tactic helps explain the high Russian casualties since the last attack two months ago. Between May and June, around 1,200 soldiers were wounded or killed every day, according to Western officials quoted by the BBC.

It has been a challenging year for Kiev, whose security forces have been pushed to the limits for months by shortages of soldiers and ammunition, worsened by delays in the delivery of US military aid. According to the British broadcaster, the pace of Western support has caused some frustration in Kiev. An unnamed senior official believes Ukraine is “getting enough aid to avoid failure, but not enough to guarantee it will win.”

Orbán criticizes European partners in Moscow

To offset its weaknesses, Kiev has tried to get its allies to send more weapons and anti-aircraft defense systems, and has called for loosening targeting limits for Ukrainian forces so they can use Western weapons along the Russian border. At the same time, it tries to keep the EU’s focus on its military and financial needs.

On Wednesday, Volodymyr Zelenskiy welcomed the Prime Minister of Hungary, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, in Kyiv. Viktor Orban, a eurosceptic leader close to Vladimir Putin, visited the Ukrainian capital for the first time since the conflict began, after repeatedly blocking European financial and military aid to Ukraine. Orban supported a ceasefire aimed at peace talks, but Zelensky again stressed the importance of ensuring a “just and lasting peace”.

Despite the differences, Kiev welcomed the opening of another avenue of dialogue. But this Friday, he was surprised by Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow, which he saw as “a continuation of his peace work”. In a statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry criticized the meeting between Orban and Putin, which was held “without any agreement or coordination with Ukraine”. “We remember that the principle of ‘no agreement on Ukraine without Ukraine’ is inviolable for our country,” he emphasized.

The Hungarian head of government’s visit to Moscow contradicted the stance taken by the European Union (EU) over the past two-and-a-half years and caused an uproar among European institutions. Several leaders were quick to guarantee that Orbán was not representing the group in talks with Putin. European diplomatic chief Josef Borrell said the visit “falls exclusively within the framework of bilateral relations” between Hungary and Russia and European Commission President Ursula van der Leyen said “appeasement will not stop Putin”. Several heads of government, including Louis Montenegro, condemned the Hungarian Prime Minister’s visit to Russia.

Despite recognizing that he does not have a mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU, Viktor Orbán has been critical of European countries and the bloc, insisting in an interview with public radio Kossuth that “you can’t make peace from the comfort of an armchair”. in Brussels”. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s outgoing secretary-general, said he had been informed of Hungary’s visit, but insisted Orbán was “representing his own country”.