If it had been up to President Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine would have reacted much more vigorously to Russia’s invasion on February 24, 2022.
This is according to leaked documents The Washington Post got hold of. It is to gain the confidence of Western countries that he may have decided to moderate his plans.
Since the beginning of the war, Ukraine has only fought Russians within its own borders. This has given Zelensky the image of a peace-loving leader who prefers the negotiated solution to a conflict. The leaked documents from US intelligence services that are attached to The Washington Post ended up, however, now paint a different picture of him.
Because what turns out? Behind closed doors, the president would initially have put forward a much more far-reaching plan. In it, Russian towns and cities would be occupied to put pressure on Russia, a pipeline that brings Russian oil to Hungary would be bombed and long-range missiles would be used to hit targets within Russia’s borders.
occupy Russian border towns
It appears, among other things, that Zelenskyin had proposed in a meeting at the end of January to carry out attacks in Russia, with Ukrainian troops also entering ‘enemy territory’ to ‘occupy Russian border towns’. With the aim: to create a lever that would allow Ukraine to have power over Russia.
In February he complained about the lack of long-range missiles against one of his generals. Failing that, he then suggested attacking Rostov, a region in western Russia, with drones. His other ‘wilder’ plans also surfaced in meetings that followed.
Commitments to Western countries
Why it never came to such facts, and Zelensky opted for a more moderate defense, may have to do with commitments to Western countries that support Ukraine. The US and Germany, among others, are terrified that the weapons they provide will be used to attack Russia within their own borders. That could lead to a conflict that is many times bigger. US President Joe Biden is one of the leaders who has said so in so many words.
Zelensky dismisses the contents of the documents as ‘fantasy’. He defended himself in response The Washington Post also his right to use unconventional tactics. “Ukraine has every right to defend itself, and we will.”
The leaked documents come from the Discord group where Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old American reservist, had posted a lot of classified documents. In April this came to light and he was arrested. He risks a serious prison sentence.
2023-05-14 19:31:15
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