After the defeat of the Russian group in the Kharkiv region, many Western newspapers are calling for increased support for Ukraine and do not rule out general mobilization in Russia.
“A defeat that cannot be called”, “Fiasco on the front and fireworks in Moscow”. “A turning point has come in Ukraine?”. “Now Putin is mobilizing everything, because he has to prevent his downfall.” Under such headings, the German media described and commented on the events of the previous weekend in their print and online publications – the defeat of a group of Russian troops in the Kharkov region and the celebration of the City Day in Moscow with great tribute against it. background.
“Kremlin doesn’t know how to react”
“The Ukrainian army has proven in recent days that it can use Western-supplied weapons in a smart and effective way. The collapse of the Russian front in the Kharkiv region is far from a victory, but it could be a turning point in this war ,” wrote the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
“Over the weekend,” the newspaper continued, “the Russian leadership tried to pretend that nothing significant had happened on the front. As Russian troops surrendered one strategically important position after another, President Vladimir Putin opened a Ferris wheel in Moscow. The Kremlin doesn’t seem to know how to react to such dramatic losses, but Putin has to react.”
In doing so, he faces a dilemma, explains the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. “If he wants to turn the tide militarily, he will have to send more forces to the front. To do this, he will have to abandon the line that has so far ensured support for the war on the part of his subjects: he tried keep it away from their daily lives. If Putin chooses in favor of military escalation, Ukraine must be fully armed,” the newspaper pointed out.
“If it turns out to be more important for Putin to ensure calm in the rear, the Ukrainians must have a way to take advantage of this opportunity to liberate the occupied territories,” the publication emphasizes. So, the conservative Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in any case considers it necessary to “rapidly expand support for Ukraine.”
“Beijing is unlikely to accept the use of nuclear weapons”
The economic newspaper Handelsblatt follows the same view. The publication states that Putin has become a victim of his own policies and propaganda. “The Russian army is not the formidable fighting force that many in the West fear. This army is Putin’s idea of domination, corrupted by the system of mafia corruption he created, materially and morally drained of blood,” the publication. ending
But here lies the great danger, the newspaper continued. “Putin can’t beat in the war he started. To maintain his dominance, he now has to give all his strength. Russia is facing general mobilization, and Ukraine is facing a war of annihilation, in which Putin’s army will use all its arsenals,” Handelsblatt warned, and further noted that even a tactical nuclear strike can not be eliminated.
But in this case, the newspaper believes, Russia’s alliance with China will end, because “Beijing is unlikely to accept the use of nuclear weapons.” But the main thing is that Moscow is in danger of “direct confrontation with the West.” The best guarantee that Putin will not go to extreme measures, according to the publication, will be the strong support of the West for Ukraine.
“Putin cannot win an armed conflict with NATO, and he knows it. And if he tries to buy time for his army with a toxic ceasefire proposal, the West should not fall for this trick, ” warned Handelsblatt. And he came to the conclusion: “Ukraine now needs more Western weapons to defeat Putin.”
“General mobilization will take several months”
Tagesspiegel, a regional newspaper published in Berlin, is confident that Germany and the European Union can now “significantly” increase arms supplies to Ukraine. “The argument is becoming more and less convincing that in this case there will be a shortage in the arsenals of the Bundeswehr. Arms manufacturers can supply from their own stocks. In addition, experts continue from in the fact that the Russian army, in the event of a defeat, would not be able to fight for many years. The foreseeable future is the threat of a major land war in Europe, and the Western armies will be able to increase their supply in the meantime.”
The capital newspaper urges not to fear the Kremlin’s response. Moscow can no longer threaten to turn off the gas – its supplies are already fading, and in military terms, Russia’s capabilities are greatly reduced. “Even if the master of the Kremlin now officially declares martial law, the general mobilization will last for several months. Moreover, observers doubt that it will be successful. After all, the Russian army is already lacking now of officers and specialists to train the soldiers. Too many of them have died in Ukraine. Moreover, the shortage of ammunition and equipment is growing.”
In this situation, the Tagesspiegel concluded: “The war in Ukraine has reached a turning point. The risks for the West in expanding its support have decreased, the probability of success is increasing. Therefore, now from Berlin to Washington , the motto should be “Full speed ahead!”.
“We will be more quarrelsome”
Another regional newspaper – Allgemeine Zeitung from Mainz – is more dedicated. “Perhaps there really is an opportunity to turn the tide in this war and inflict a well-deserved defeat on the aggressor in the Kremlin. The federal government must quickly decide whether it will also take the path of further development. If Germany supplies The Ukraine with battle tanks, we will be a more combative side. It should be considered by everyone who now can’t wait to run ahead of the steam locomotive, “said the Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper from Mainz.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.