Ukraine has just marked its 3rd Easter at war with Russia.
As Ukraine struggled these last months with a shortage of both troops and ammunition, Russia gained advantage on the ground. The U.S. Congress finally approved a $60+ million military aid package, but Ukraine suffered for the many months of delay. As Ukraine waits for that aid to arrive, Russian forces continue to advance on the eastern front.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Sunday that more than 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died in the last two years fighting against Russia’s invasion. US officials have estimated that the death toll may well be closer to 70,000.
Western leaders are now clearly reevaluating their earlier red lines. French President Emmanuel Macron said that sending troops into Ukraine was not out of the question. And British Foreign Secretary David Cameron gave Ukraine permission to use UK weapons to strike targets inside Russia.
In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia will hold tactical nuclear weapons drills. He continues to crack down on any opposition, arresting more and more journalists. With the Russian people unable to receive anything other than the official state news, Putin hopes to retain popular support for the war in Ukraine. Ukraine’s intelligence agency yesterday announced that it had foiled a Russian plot to assassinate Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
On May 2, US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines expressed her feeling that the war in Ukraine is unlikely to end soon.
