A coalition of European countries, spearheaded by Poland, has been discreetly encouraging Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to find a resolution to the ongoing conflict with Russia.
These nations, staunch allies of Kyiv and known adversaries of Russian President Vladimir Putin, have come together to support Ukraine’s efforts, according to esteemed US investigative journalist Seymour Hersh.
Hersh, in a post on his website for paid subscribers, named Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, and Latvia as key members of this group. He highlighted that these countries share a strong alliance with Ukraine and have unequivocally positioned themselves against Vladimir Putin.
“Zelensky’s desire to take the war to Russia may not be clear to the president and senior foreign policy aides in the White House, but it is to those in the American intelligence community who have found it difficult to get their intelligence and their assessments a hearing in the Oval Office,” Hersh wrote. “Meanwhile, the slaughter in the city of Bakhmut continues. It is similar in idiocy, if not in numbers, to the slaughter in Verdun and the Somme during World War I. The men in charge of today’s war—in Moscow, Kiev, and Washington—have shown no interest even in temporary ceasefire talks that could serve as a prelude to something permanent. The talk now is only about the possibilities of a late spring or summer offensive by either party.”
“But something else is cooking, as some in the American intelligence community know and have reported in secret, at the instigation of government officials at various levels in Poland, Hungary, Lithuania, Estonia, Czechoslovakia, and Latvia,” he continued. “These countries are all allies of Ukraine and declared enemies of Vladimir Putin.”
“This group is led by Poland, whose leadership no longer fears the Russian army because its performance in Ukraine has left the glow of its success at Stalingrad during the Second World War in tatters,” he added. “It has been quietly urging Zelensky to find a way to end the war—even by resigning himself, if necessary—and to allow the process of rebuilding his nation to get under way. Zelensky is not budging, according to intercepts and other data known inside the Central Intelligence Agency, but he is beginning to lose the private support of his neighbors.”
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The coalition has been actively urging Zelenskyy to seek avenues for ending the war, even if it requires him to consider resigning, in order to initiate the process of rebuilding the nation. However, despite growing pressure, Zelenskyy has not yielded, potentially jeopardizing the private support he had received from neighboring countries, according to Hersh’s claims.
The journalist’s claims contrast with the outward appearance of popular support for Zelenskyy put forward by the Western media. The New York Times in April reported that Zelenskyy got a “hero’s welcome” upon his visit to Warsaw.
Hersh further asserted that the Ukrainian president’s desire to take the conflict to Moscow might not be fully understood by the White House and its senior foreign policy advisors. He suggested that American intelligence agencies have struggled to have their insights and assessments acknowledged in the Oval Office.
In a separate development, Ukraine responded on Wednesday to Moscow’s claims that a US-supplied Patriot air defense system had been targeted and damaged. The Ukrainian Air Force spokesman, Yury Ignat, assured AFP that the Patriot system remained operational, stating, “Don’t worry, all is fine with the Patriot.” Ignat refrained from providing specific details regarding any potential damage to the sophisticated system but affirmed its continued serviceability.
Earlier reports had indicated that a US-made Patriot air defense system may have sustained damage during a Russian missile attack on Tuesday. The Russian Defense Ministry asserted that its forces had successfully targeted the Patriot system in Kyiv using a Kinzhal hypersonic missile.
Meanwhile, conflicting reports emerged as Ukraine claimed that its air defense had shot down six of Russia’s hypersonic missiles. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu promptly rejected this assertion.
Zelenskyy is touring Europe with a long “shopping list” for Ukraine’s allies, according to the Associated Press. During a rapid diplomatic tour encompassing Italy, the Vatican, Germany, France, and the U.K., European leaders made significant commitments to Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, vowing to provide an array of missiles, tanks, and drones. The objective of this whirlwind three-day visit was to bolster Ukraine’s depleted weapons inventory in preparation for an anticipated spring offensive, with the aim of shifting the balance in the ongoing conflict.
Meanwhile, the highest official in Ukrainian history, the head of the Supreme Court, was recently detained in the investigation of a $3 million bribery scheme. It is the latest high-profile figure to be ensnared in the country’s anti-corruption efforts.
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