Perhaps Vladimir Putin did not put his cards on the table at the May 9 Victory Day parade in Red Square for his next moves in Ukraine, but all sides are preparing for the worst, as the feeling is growing that the war will go on for a long time and the consequences will be long-term.
The United States expects Russia to attack Transnistria as well, according to the US intelligence chief's estimates, while Congress is moving to approve a mammoth $40 billion package to aid Ukraine.
And Europe is in for an energy shock anyway, but especially after Kiev's sudden announcement that it is cutting off from today the flow of Russian gas to Europe via the Shokhranivka station, which passes through the mostly Russian-controlled Luhansk. The pipeline carries 32.6 million cubic metres of gas per day, and earlier the Commission has been considering measures to reduce energy consumption, such as expanding telecommuting, limiting car use by encouraging cheaper driving, using public transport, bicycles and... walking!
Europe, however, continues to support the Ukrainian resistance, with Volodymyr Zelensky assuring overnight that cities seized by the Russians will be liberated and congratulating his country's soldiers for their "superhuman strength". "Victories are expected on a weekly and even daily basis," Zelensky said, revealing that Ukraine has received 2,250 missile strikes since the Russian invasion began on February 24, as "the shelling does not stop, day or night," he said.
According to the Ukrainian president, Russian invaders are being "gradually" driven out of areas such as Kharkiv and he hopes something similar will happen in Kherson, Melitopol, Berdyansk, Mariupol and elsewhere. He admitted, however, that for Mariupol in particular, his country has not received the weapons needed to end the siege the city is under.
Yesterday Tuesday, shocking photos were published of the emaciated and wounded fighters who remain and continue to resist at the Azovstal factory, with Zelensky accusing Moscow that Russia is rejecting all his offers to rescue them. Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Irina Vereshuk said "there are seriously injured people who should be urgently evacuated... the situation is deteriorating day by day".
American fears about Moldova and military aid to Ukraine
[/P][BR][BR]In statements to the press, the head of the United States' intelligence services, Avril Haynes, expressed her assessment that Putin is not going to stop the war, even if he conquers Donbas, but intends to attack Transnistria, with its peculiar regime within Moldova and its strong Russian-speaking element, which Moscow has claimed is oppressed by the government in Chisinau.
Haynes also assessed that Russia could use nuclear weapons if it faced an existential threat, adding that it was not out of the question for Putin to even impose martial law in his country to boost his war efforts.
On Tuesday night, proceedings in Congress moved forward to approve a $40 billion package of military and non-military aid to Ukraine.
This money will allow Kiev to be equipped with tanks, anti-aircraft defense and anti-cyber-attack systems, etc.
But Europe also continues to support Ukraine in many ways.
Yesterday it became known that Germany will not only provide Ukraine with seven "Panzerhaubitze 2000" guns, but will also train dozens of Ukrainians who will form the crews of the self-propelled heavy guns. These armoured self-propelled guns are equipped with simple shells and have an effective range of up to 30 kilometres, perhaps even more with the right additional equipment.
The energy nightmare in Europe
Europe is, however, living and taking measures to deal with the consequences of the energy crisis. The announcement by the Ukrainian company operating the gas transmission system (GTSOU) that it is cutting off the flow of Russian gas to Europe via the Sochranivka station from today "due to force majeure" took Brussels by surprise. GTSOU claims that it cannot operate the Novoposkov compression station due to "the interference of the occupation forces in the technical process."
It should be noted that the station, which is located in the Luhansk region, had been occupied by Russian forces and pro-Russian separatists.
The amount of 32.6 million The Russian company Gazprom, which sends the gas to the Europeans, said that it was not technically feasible, i.e. "technologically impossible" to transport the entire volume of gas through the Suzhou station, as proposed by the Ukrainians.
The Russian company Gazprom, which sends the gas to the Europeans, said that it was not technically feasible, i.e. "technologically impossible" to transport the entire volume of gas through the Suzhou station, as proposed by the Ukrainians. It claims that there is no "force majeure" and "no obstacle" to the transport of the gas, as has been the case to date, and blames the Ukrainians for this development.
Coincidentally or not, the European Commission is currently considering a package of measures to limit the energy consumption of European citizens. Citing also data from the International Energy Agency, the Commission is discussing very specific changes in the daily lives of citizens to achieve this goal.
Among them is the extension of teleworking, as such a measure is equivalent to 170,000 fewer barrels per day, since travel is reduced!
It also suggests car sharing with other people, driving gently while reducing speed limits on motorways, establishing car-free days such as Sundays, using trains rather than planes for many journeys, but also making use of public transport and bicycles, and even mentioning the importance of walking as a way for some of people's daily journeys.
Source: protothema.gr
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Views & opinions expressed are those of the author and/or Cyprus Times
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