By Lateef Adgbite
Not man people were surprised that hostility between Ukraine and Russia Federation has resumed in full scale barely hours after the two sides, which had a large Jewish population had agreed on Saturday , March 6, 2022, on the evacuation routes to allow civilians resident in Kharkiv and Sumy , the two major besieged cities besieged by Russia Forces, to be evacuated , including those living at the strategic port of Mariupol in the south east and eastern town of Volmovaha.
The ceasefire agreement from the onset was bound to fail as the two sides were suspicious of each other. The Ukrainian Forces were accused of taking advantage of the ceasefire along the path of the evacuation routes for the civilians in the besieged cities to disguise themselves to spy on Russian positions to Launch attacks.
Valdimir Putin, the Russian President was said to have sent a signal to the NATO countries that‘’ Ukrainian statehood is in jeopardy’’. A tough talking Putin was said to have likened’’ the West’s sanctions on Russia to a ‘’declaration of war’’. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian President may have read the handwriting on the wall that there is no end in sight to the war with Russia that he has pleaded with countries in eastern Europe ‘’ to provide Russian made aircraft to Ukraine’’.
He was said to have also called for the creation of a no fly zone in Ukraine air space, lethal aid, a ban on Russian oil, as well as a suspension of Visa and Master card in Russia. President Zelenskyy was to have told the east European member countries of NATO: Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Estonia, Slovania, Latvia, Lithunia , that the Russia planes are very much need in Ukraine, to sustain the air battle, promising to do everything within his powers ‘’ to help facilitate their transfer’’.
His major worry was that the Russia’s military is trying ‘’to add to its gains in the south by moving closer to the vital port city of Odessa as It has tried to cut of the Ukrainian government from the sea’’. Until the renewed hostility between the two east European countries late on Saturday March 6, 2022, Putin, described, as another Josef Stalin, of the old USSR, had viewed the expansion of the West into east Europe as very worrisome, insisting that it must be stopped.
The insistence of President Zelenskyy, that the US must support the creation of a no fly zone in Ukraine to reduce Russia’s air raids , shelling and bombardment of the country’s military Operations may have been turned down by Joe Biden, the American President on the grounds that ‘’it will escalate the crisis and spread to more countries in Europe did not enthuse the officials of the Ukrainian government. Dymtrov Kuleba, Ukraine Foreign minister, who could not hide his feelings had described the US, and its allies refusal to implement a no fly zone over Ukraine as a ‘’sign of extreme weakness’’.
Although Putin, the Russian President was not opposed to the establishment of no fly zone in Ukraine but did not want the NATO countries to do it, stating that he will consider any third –party creating the no fly zone over Ukraine air space’’.
He was said to have told the Russian female Pilots at a meeting ton Saturday, March 6, 2022, that he will continue ‘’to view every move by the US and its allies over the Ukraine crisis with suspicions as they are ‘’participants in the military conflict’’. It was not surprising why he may have accepted the mediatory role of Naftali Bennett, the Israeli Prime minister, PM, over the Ukraine crisis.
Agency reports had it that President Zelenskyy had earlier alerted the Israeli PM, PM, in a telephone conversation on Friday, February 25, 2022, about the Russian invasion on Thursday, February 24, 2022. He may have cashed in that Zeev Elkin, the Israeli Housing minister, was born in Kharkiv, Ukraine, when it was still part of the old Union of Soviet Socialist Republic, USSR, to request for supply of military equipment from Israel but got it wrong
Aware that the Israelis government was not ready to support the country with military aid to fight Russia may have informed why he had piled up pressure on Benjamin Netanyahu, former Prime Minister of Israel and Mr. Bennett, his successor, to mediate in the Ukraine crisis. .
He was said to have spoken with Putin, the Russian, Leader on Wednesday, March 3, 2022, hours after speaking with President Zelensky on phone. The fallout of the telephone Conversations between the Israeli PM and Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin, in their respective countries may have been completed with a visit to Moscow on Saturday, March 6, 2022, to meet Putin , described in diplomatic circles as a ‘’rare moment of diplomacy in a war situation’’.
The duo were said to have discussed ‘’the situation in Ukraine’’, according to Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman in a Statement published in RIA Novosti, the state controlled news site. The meeting was to have come at a time ‘’the situation in Ukraine was very worrisome. It may have exposed the suffering of the people to him and the new for the two parties to resume talks in order to end the crisis.
A Statement on Saturday , March 6, 2022 shows, that the meeting had the blessings of Biden , the US President, who had at the beginning of the conflict mobilised its allies, including the Asian countries of Japan, Korea and other countries to impose sanctions on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. The Statement further shows that the Israeli PM and Putin’S meeting in Moscow had the backing of Germany and France and also in the ongoing Russia dialogue with Ukraine.
There are indications that Bennett, the Israeli, PM, had expressed concern at the meeting with Putin, ‘about the large Jewish population Communities in both Russia and Ukraine’’. He was said to have also spoken to Putin about ‘’the situation of the Israeli citizens in the country.
Prime minister Bennett intervention may have softened the ground for the two sides to resume bilateral talks, aimed at ending the war. Prior to the Iraaeli PM ‘s talks with Putin , in Moscow, the later had sent a message to the Leadership of Estonia, Latvia and Lithunia, all member –countries of NATO, to protect Russia’s Embassies to avoid any further attack of its diplomats. An aggrieved Putin may have been encouraged to send the terse message to the three NATO countries in East Europe, following the attack on a Russian Diplomat in the Lithunia Capital.
He may have sent the warnings to the Leadership of the three NATO countries in East Europe, stressing that they will be held responsible for the consequences of the anti-Russian psychosis they have unleased because of their sympathy for Ukraine. The Russian diplomat was said to have been attacked with the use of physical force in the Lithunia Capital.
Although, the Leadership of Lthunia may have laughed over the warnings as they are awaiting on the wings for Russian to attack them in order to invite NATO countries, particular, the US , Cnanada, UK and EU, based on their Collective Security agreement that is binding members join in the war. Russia may have known of their plan to force it to fight too many battles at the same time to weaken its military strength that it softpedalled to send the warning to them.
Many believe that both not for the ongong war with Ukraine, Russia would have responded with an attack on Lithunia, to send a signal to other countries that might want to attack any of its diplomats.
Notwithstanding the US continued military support to President Zelenskyy by NATO countries to fight Russia, which is a nuclear world power, the later had continued unleash mayhem on Ukraine. This evident with the destruction of its fighter jets and other offensive missiles in its military bases.
Between Thursday, February 24, 2022 and now, Russia forces were said to have taken over several Ukraine cities and shut down four of the country’s Su-27 Jets. The Russia Air Force were said to have also destroyed 69 Ukraine fighter Jets on ground and 21 in the air . Bad news to Ukraine.
The International Community are waiting to hear about the outcome of the closed door meeting between Benneth , the Israeli, M , Zelenskyy and Putin and how it has impacted positively on the Ukraine crisis. For now, Russian offensives had continued towards the Ukraine major port cities. Moreso, thousands of Ukrainian refugees have continued to flee to neighbouring countries in Europe.
The heavy fighting between the two countries between Saturday, March 6, 222, that the Isreali PM, had held talks with Presidents Zelenskyy and Putin, on the Ukraine crisis and now, appear to have become. worse. This is because a second attempt to evacuate 200,000 people out of the port city of Mariupol have been halted. Officials of the Red Cross Society had described the the situation at the port city as ‘’extremely dire’’.
