Zelensky: “it is time to begin offensive actions to secure our national interest”

January 25, 2022 admin Comments 0 Comment

I don’t think that he is talking about repelling a putative Russian invasion here.

He is talking about OFFENSIVE action to retake Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics.

Everyone talks about the Russian troops near the border of Ukraine; nobody references the large numbers (100,000) of UKRAINIAN troops.

When I did a search for Ukrainian troops on the border all I could find was reference to Russian troops.

From the webpage of the Ukrainian president

Foreign intelligence plays an important role in countering threats – President of Ukraine

24 January 2022

Ukrainian intelligence has always played an important role in countering external threats. It is time not only to effectively restrain, but also to start offensive actions to defend the national interests of Ukraine. This was emphasized by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during a meeting with FIS officials on the occasion of Ukraine’s Foreign Intelligence Day.

“Today, our state confronts extremely dangerous threats, including threats to sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity. In this crucial period, effective intelligence plays an extremely important role,” the Head of State stated.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy emphasized that information on the enemy’s plans and actions in all areas is a reliable guarantee for making timely and correct decisions in difficult situations.

The President noted the role of the FIS in preparing materials on key aspects of security, maintaining the negotiations in the Normandy format, the Trilateral Contact Group, gas issues, Nord Stream 2, and ensuring consolidated support for Ukraine from the international community.

“We have learned to deter and counter external aggression quite effectively. I am convinced that the time has come to move to OFFENSIVE actions to defend our national interests.

…You have the experience and ability to implement such a strategy. Intelligence, the ability to generate unconventional solutions to acute problems, the courage and dedication of every intelligence officer should remain effective tools used for the benefit of our state,” the President said.

The Head of State noted the importance of obtaining truthful information so that no one manipulates it and so that no one uses Ukraine to their advantage.

“Our citizens are united in returning our territories and wishing peace to our independent state. That’s why a lot depends on you: on the truthfulness of the information and its timeliness,” Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.

For dedicated service and professionalism, Volodymyr Zelenskyy presented high state awards and housing certificates to the intelligence officers.

ph	Participation of the President in the solemn event on the occasion of the Day of Foreign Intelligence of Ukraine 24 January 2022 – 12:24

Kremlin: Ukraine Amassing Troops on Contact Line in Donbass in Apparent Preparation for Attack

A general view shows the St. Basil's Cathedral and the Kremlin's Spasskaya Tower - Sputnik International, 1920, 24.01.2022

Tensions around Ukraine are on the rise as NATO puts its troops on standby amid Western media claims about Russia’s alleged military buildup near its borders and preparations for “an invasion”. Moscow denies the allegations, pointing to its sovereign right to deploy forces within its own territory and NATO’s ongoing eastward expansion.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said that a huge buildup of Ukrainian forces on the Donbass line of contact indicates Kiev is preparing for an attack.

“Indeed, the Ukrainian authorities are concentrating a huge amount of forces and equipment on the border with the self-proclaimed republics on the line of contact. Indeed, the nature of this concentration points to preparations for offensive operations, and, indeed, there is such a threat now“, Peskov told reporters on Monday.

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He said that in this case, Moscow would like to see NATO countries urge Kiev not to even think about the possibility of a military settlement in Ukraine. According to Peskov, the delivery of each unit of weapons to Ukraine inspires Kiev to start military operations in Donbass.

“The threat of provocations from Kiev in Donbass is now very high, even higher than before”, the Kremlin spokesman noted.

Dmitry Peskov also pointed out that information hysteria in the West, not Russia, should be blamed for the increased tensions around Ukraine.

He was echoed by Denis Pushilin, the head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) in Eastern Ukraine, who said earlier on Monday, that Kiev is moving artillery and tanks to the Donbass line of contact.

“The nature of the measures taken by Ukraine [shows that] this is a preparation for an offensive. I am talking about the fact that equipment is being brought [to the contact line], tank crews are being prepared, and artillery crews and tank crews are concentrated in those places of deployment where they were assigned”, Pushilin told the Rossiya 1 broadcaster.

Pushilin added that the Donetsk self-proclaimed republic “is on high alert because anything can be expected from Kiev”.

NATO Troops on Standby

He spoke as NATO announced that it is putting its forces on standby and sending more ships and fighter jets to the sites of the alliance’s deployment in Eastern Europe, a move that NATO said was caused by Russia’s purportedly continuing “military build-up in and around Ukraine”.

The deployment unfolds amid accusations by Western officials and media outlets that Russia is amassing troops on the border with Ukraine, ostensibly in preparation for an “invasion”. Russia rejects the allegations, stressing that it can move the nation’s troops on its own territory at its discretion, especially in the midst of NATO’s continuing eastward expansion.

Moscow also accuses the West of artificially ratcheting up tensions and possibly egging on Kiev to try to resolve the conflict in the eastern Donbass region by force.

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In a bid to defuse the tensions, the Russian Foreign Ministry published security guarantee proposals in mid-December urging the US and NATO to halt the bloc’s eastward expansion, and proposing a number of measures, including legally-binding limitations on the deployment of troops, missile systems, aircraft, and warships in areas where they could be considered a threat to the other party.

NATO was quick to respond by stating it won’t abandon its “open-door” policy, signalling, though, its readiness to continue the dialogue with Russia.