Iruni Kalupahana JadeTimes Staff
I. Kalupahana is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Russia-Ukraine war
The Ukrainian army is scrambling to resupply defensive positions along the border to prevent Russia from expanding its Sudzha counter offensive into a broad invasion of north eastern Ukraine. The latest Ukrainian incursion into Russia's Kursk province was strategically planned to pull Russian troops off line and create an advantage at the negotiating table for control of the 20% of Ukrainian territory that Russia currently occupies. But Ukraine has been forced to retreat eight villages in the Sumy region due to heightened Russian shelling. The region's military administration has underlined the importance of this measure as the military situation on the ground continues to deteriorate.
Recent reports indicate that Russia regained approximately 70% of the territory that Ukraine had regained with its first August advance into Kursk. Though Ukraine used to have a grip on around 1,300 square kilometers of the territory, its control now stands at less than 200 square kilometers. The Ukrainian soldiers fighting to retreat from Kursk do so against odds, covering large distances in extended marches avoiding Russian military personnel. It highlights how difficult it is for Ukraine to maintain its strategic foothold in Russia's country and, at the same time, protect the motherland.
In response to increasing tensions, Canada has called on the G7 nations to reaffirm their support for Ukraine. As president of the present G7 presidency, Canada is hosting high level discussions between foreign ministers in Charlevoix, Quebec, to discuss the crisis. On the other hand, the United Kingdom has committed to increasing its defence export finance capability, rising its UK Export Finance (UKEF) direct defence lending from £8bn to £10bn. This injection of cash is part of the broader strategy by Britain to bolster its defence industry, particularly with ongoing international uncertainty and the Ukraine conflict.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has issued conditional support for a rumored US-brokered ceasefire in Ukraine. But his demand for certain clarifications and conditions suggests Moscow is not yet ready to sign up to a ultimate peace agreement. US ex-President Donald Trump has also weighed in on the negotiations, stating that his representative, Steve Witkoff, is negotiating with Russian representatives in Moscow. Trump has suggested that negotiations towards settlement may entail territorial sacrifices, such as access to the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, Europe's largest nuclear facility.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not as hopeful about Russia's motives, though, accusing Moscow of taking too long with the process of the ceasefire with too many conditions. In his view, Putin is scared to turn down the offer directly in case he is sanctioned by Trump. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has reiterated his country's commitment to making diplomatic talk and a political resolution to the war a reality, in the meantime. The United States will also supply Ukraine with advanced long range Ground Launched Small Diameter Bombs (GLSDB) to counter Russian electronic warfare, following reports that Ukraine's stock of Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMS) is running low.
Away from the battlefield, the war's longer term consequences remain to be seen. A recent report has identified extensive environmental damage caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in 2023 as a "toxic timebomb." It has deposited 83,000 tonnes of poisonous heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and nickel that had been stored in lakebed sediments. In Germany itself, though, politicians are calling for an increase in defence spending, with the new chancellor proposing a €500bn investment fund to upgrade the nation's military capabilities. These developments portend the broader geopolitical and environmental implications of the current war, foreshadowing the advanced complexities that the future holds for Ukraine and its alliance.
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