They were exposed in a report by Microsoft's threat analysis centre, which said the campaign had been ongoing since July. The clips, in which they address a 'Vladimir', have been manipulated to falsely paint Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a drug addict. 'This is exactly what the choice of the place of Putin's statement says: at the request of officers, heroes of Russia, heroes of the war in Donbas.'Īnd, Mr Markov added, the very fact he made the statement in response to a request from Artyom Zhoga, a lieutenant colonel born in Soviet-era Donetsk and whose Sparta Battalion fought alongside Russian-backed forces in eastern Ukraine ahead of the 2022 invasion, indicated Mr Putin wanted to seize all of the Donbas region.Ĭelebrities including Lord Of The Rings star Elijah Wood, Breaking Bad actor Dean Norris, and Priscilla Presley have unwittingly recorded messages for Russian propaganda videos. 'Putin is going to the polls as a military leader of a country at war,' Sergei Markov, a former Kremlin adviser, said. Some Kremlin watchers said the setting of the announcement - surrounded by decorated soldiers and mothers of fallen soldiers - may be an indication of how he perceives his rule, and some Kremlin watchers said it could give hints about the future of the Ukraine war. While Vladimir Putin's confirmation today that he would stand in next year's presidential election was the source of no surprise among commentators, there has at least been some discussion around how he chose to frame the announcement. By adjusting its strategy, the West can help Ukraine make crucial progress, weaken Russia in the Black Sea, and chart a path to ending this long and bloody war.' 'For Washington, a clear eye on the campaign for Crimea is an antidote to doom and gloom.

'Just as Russia's war on Ukraine began with the invasion of Crimea in 2014, so too will it only end when Ukraine eventually regains control there. 'Ukraine must be armed, trained, and equipped with the campaign for the peninsula in mind,' they write. They conclude that 'the shortest and most direct path to victory for Ukraine runs through Crimea'. It would embolden Putin to pocket his gains and press onward.' 'It would destroy the relationship with Kyiv, tank morale throughout Ukraine, and raise doubts about US commitments around the world. 'Of course, the West could attempt to pressure Ukraine into ceding large territories and millions of Ukrainians to Russia in hopes of appeasing Putin, even though Kyiv would fiercely and justifiably resist such a move. 'It is also unrealistic to think Putin would be content with control over the five regions of Ukraine that he has already annexed,' they add. The pair argue that Moscow is 'uninterested in any genuine cessation of hostilities' and that any ceasefire 'would only serve one purpose: to give his forces a respite before resuming hostilities'. 'The truth is that there is no easy way out,' they write, saying 'the only way to force Vladimir Putin from his objective is to give Ukraine the means to beat him on the battlefield'. In a piece for Foreign Policy magazine, the Hudson Institute's Luke Coffey and Peter Rough make a similar point - but go further, in putting forward what they state is Ukraine and the West's best strategy for defeating Russia. Moscow, however, has given no indication it is willing to enter such negotiations, with commentators including Cold War historian Sergey Radchenko saying Vladimir Putin has 'zero incentive' to engage in talks. The attritional nature of the ongoing conflict and the relative stalemate that has created have fuelled growing suggestions that the best course of action for Ukraine is to push for a negotiated peace deal with Russia.

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