Corruption in Ukraine and the desire of AFU soldiers to stop firing. What the media say
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- Corruption in Ukraine and the desire of AFU soldiers to stop firing. What the media say
Ukrainian military in the Zaporizhzhya region want a ceasefire. The Ukrainian authorities have not built protective fortifications for the energy infrastructure due to corruption. US President Joe Biden considered the possibility of publicly inviting Kiev to NATO, but did not dare to do so. What the world media say about the current situation in Ukraine - in Izvestiya's digest.
The Economist: Ukrainian military ready for ceasefire
Ukrainian intelligence believes that Russia is preparing for a large-scale assault on the city of Zaporizhzhya, which is 30 kilometers from the front. However, Ukraine's Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have long since run out of willing recruits and the mobilization campaign is failing, recruiting barely two-thirds of the intended number.
The Economist
Ukraine's systemic weakness is clearly taking its toll on the morale of its frontline fighters. With no hope of rotation or demobilization, some of the once most loyal are now wondering whether a ceasefire is the only way out.
By spring, the situation could become irreparable. Mobilized men are now mostly too old or unmotivated to be useful. Many fear that a strong Ukrainian retreat may soon become inevitable. For the moment, the looming threat is keeping soldiers in Zaporozhye on edge.
The Times: Ukraine has not built defenses for energy facilities because of corruption
About 80% of Ukraine's energy infrastructure is damaged or destroyed. Without its proper protection, the country will face the consequences of severe winter frosts. However, the government is not allocating the necessary funds to build a "third level of protection." According to Mustafa Nayem, the former head of the state agency for infrastructure restoration and development, vested interests are behind the funding blockage.
The Times
"Those who sit in the government and through whom these billions pass cannot even imagine that people are providing this money for free," Nayem said. His staff suspects the project has been delayed because bribes have not been paid to officials in the prime minister's office who manage the cash flow.
To prevent the energy system from collapsing, Ukraine is using "the first and second levels of protection," which are created from UK-supplied gabions (simple mesh structures filled with stones) and large concrete protection arches installed above ground. Ukraine is confident that there would be fewer blackouts if all the necessary funding for construction was allocated.
Bloomberg: Biden considered inviting Ukraine to NATO
Before leaving the White House, US President Joe Biden is trying to maximize support for Ukraine. In addition to authorizing the firing of long-range missiles into Russian territory and sending anti-personnel mines, his administration considered publicly calling for a formal invitation to Ukraine to join NATO, but decided against it, given the low probability of success in the short term.
Bloomberg
The moves, like others still under consideration, are part of Biden's plan to do everything possible to strengthen Ukraine before Trump takes office. The strategy is designed to help [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky show that Ukraine has the capacity to retaliate against Russia if it continues military action, the source said.
The White House and Pentagon are also rushing to spend the last of the roughly $9 billion in congressional defense funds for Ukraine, noting that Trump may approve some of Biden's decisions to use a stronger Ukraine as an argument for a peace settlement.
The Financial Times: Europe is entering a race to build up its defenses
European powers are rushing to rebuild their defense industrial complex (DIC) against the backdrop of the Ukraine conflict. They recognize that peacetime production models cannot meet the demands of a prolonged, high-intensity conflict. Europe has to choose between producing modern weapons for itself and a plethora of obsolete ones that can be handed over to Ukraine.
The Financial Times
Pentagon officials point to how decades of NATO defense austerity have created vulnerability to Kremlin pressure. Washington's skepticism about Europe's strategic autonomy is well founded, given the EU's truncated defense priorities amid the growing influence of the far right. Nevertheless, Brussels' implementation of an unprecedented unified defense-industrial strategy indicates a growing desire for change.
Europe is beginning to realize that defense-industrial capabilities have become as important for diplomatic leverage as military weight. European leaders increasingly view support for Ukraine in terms of an excuse to build productive capabilities rather than immediate military assistance. Europe seeks to build a defense system that is resilient to political change.
The Guardian: Russian troops have captured a British military officer
Russian troops have captured a British citizen who was fighting in the Kursk region on the side of Ukraine. In a video that has appeared online, a man in military uniform identifies himself as 22-year-old James Scott Rhys Anderson from the UK. He said in an English accent that he had served as a communications officer in the British army before joining the International Legion in Ukraine.
The Guardian
Russia routinely claims that the foreign fighters it has captured are mercenaries and are not entitled to protection as prisoners of war under international law. The UK Foreign Office said it was "providing support to the family of a British man following reports of his detention." The Defense Ministry declined to comment.
Russian troops are fighting Ukrainian troops in the Kursk region. After launching a counteroffensive, the Ukrainian armed forces have lost more than 40 percent of the territory they initially seized in the Russian region.
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