May 9 is a key date for Putin to announce that he has somehow won the war in Ukraine.
May 9 is an important holiday in Russia, because it is the anniversary date of when Russia declared victory over Nazi Germany.
This is why it is so important to Putin to be able to announce some kind of victory in Ukraine, because he announced that one of his key goals was the de-nazification of Ukraine.
- Never mind the fact that Ukraine is run by a Jewish president
- Never mind the fact that, despite their best efforts, the Russian army was not able to find any Nazis in Ukraine.
- Never mind the fact that Putin’s army had 25% losses so far and was forced to withdraw from Western Ukraine.
The real goal and the only thing Putin can hope to gain from the war in Ukraine is to try to hold onto some of the Donbas region bordering Russia.
Getting access to the port of Mariupol on the Sea of Azov would be a valuable asset to Russia, and
- it is ironic that Russia has destroyed so much of that city that it values so highly, and
- it is ironic that Putin thinks that he can win over a population that he has brought so much death and destruction to, and will likely bring more death and destruction to in an attempt to claim some kind of victory in Eastern Ukraine, and
- it is ironic that the war in Ukraine has hardened Ukraine’s resolve to fight Russia at all costs, and has gained Ukraine support from the West that it lacked before.
Will May 9 be the day that Russians realize that the Ukraine war was Putin’s folly, no matter how he spins the story?
Follow UkraineNewsStories.com for daily Ukraine news and news analysis.
Map credit: Wikipedia
