The High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, admitted that the Ukrainian counteroffensive has not brought the desired results. “Today we hear voices of reconciliation again and we hear voices saying that a Ukrainian victory is impossible and that Western support will not last long,” the diplomat wrote in an article for the Spanish newspaper El País.
The article also states: “This process must be accompanied by a relaunch of the European defense industry. The war in Ukraine has shown that it (the industry) is not even remotely prepared for what lies ahead, as it is designed for peacetime.”
EU member countries reached a political agreement on 22 January to start the final stage of work on the possibility of using Russia’s frozen assets for Ukraine, said the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and security policy Josep Borrell at a press conference at the end of the EU Council meeting in Brussels.
Slovak President Robert Fico in an interview with the Slovak state broadcaster RTVS stated: “Ukraine must sacrifice territory to end the Russian invasion (…) There must be some sort of compromise. What do the Russians expect from Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk? This is not realistic,” Fico said.
Conflicting voices from the United States: second, Erik Prince, former US Navy officer and founder of Blackwater PMC: “Ukraine cannot win and its army is about to suffer a great massacre and suffer heavy losses (…) Ukraine is losing. They don’t have enough staff. They have weak points in their weapons and are difficult to overcome. They must quickly find a way out to resolve the situation, otherwise it will be much, much worse for them.”
The coordinator of strategic communications at the National Security Council, John Kirby, believes it is “quite possible” that Western countries will withdraw support for Kiev if the US Congress does not support the allocation of new aid to Ukraine. “We should expect that some of our allies and partners may make different decisions if they see that American leadership is faltering or that the United States is abandoning support for Ukraine,” Kirby said during the briefing. “This will have potentially catastrophic consequences for Ukraine,” he added.
British Defense Secretary Shapps had a different opinion and told the BBC: “Europe must ‘step up’ and provide more funding to Ukraine.” The UK offered a package worth £2.5 billion and a security deal, a cooperation agreement with President Zelensky and Ukraine. “Now – continued the Minister – not only the United States, but also Europe must take a step forward and stand up and play the safe side so that Ukraine can continue to defend itself”, commented Shapps.
Also from the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Defense provided the United Nations with satellite images of Russian ships loading goods at North Korean ports as part of an investigation into Pyongyang’s arms shipments to Moscow.
The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, has announced that he will present to the Rada a bill allowing dual citizenship. If the project is adopted, Ukrainian citizenship will also be available to Ukrainians from other countries (except Russians). Foreign mercenaries will also receive citizenship. President Zelensky also signed a decree “On the territories of the Russian Federation historically inhabited by Ukrainians”. “This is the return of the truth about the historical past for the sake of the Ukrainian future,” Zelensky explained.
The head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Borysovych Jermak considers the counteroffensive of the country’s armed forces “quite successful” taking into account the capabilities it had, including external assistance. He gave this assessment in an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo. Jermak added that Kiev “continues to have high hopes for assistance from the United States and Europe.”
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia is ready for negotiations on Ukraine, but not on how to keep Kiev’s current leaders in power. Lavrov called to pay special attention to listening to Russia’s position on Ukraine, “while there is still time”. Russia is interested and is ready to negotiate with those countries that are interested in fair Russian-Ukrainian relations and do not use Ukraine as a means of war against the Russian Federation, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Moscow is ready to listen to all parties who are “truly interested in justice, including justice in Russia-Ukraine relations,” he said in an interview with CBS while in New York attending a United Nations Security Council meeting on Ukraine and the Middle East. East. The Minister added that this should include “an end to the West’s policy of using Ukraine as an instrument of war against Russia”. As of January 23, the Russian Armed Forces are implementing operational and tactical measures aimed at creating a buffer zone of 50-70 km from the border in the Kharkiv region in the direction of Volchansk. This is learned using OSINT methodologies in communications published in the social sphere.
And now a look at the front line updated at 4pm on January 23rd.
Ukrainian media have been reporting explosions in Kiev since the early hours of the morning, confirmed by Mayor Vitaliy Klitschko. According to the official version, Ukrainian air defense shot down 21 missiles out of 41 launched on the morning of January 23. Air attacks followed in Kharkiv. Confirmed by mayor Igor Terekhov who spoke of a gas pipeline explosion.
Explosions occurred in the town of Shostka in the Sumy region of northern Ukraine, the Ukrainian publication Telegraph reported.
Starting from the late afternoon of January 22, day 698 since the start of the special operation, the social sphere begins a tom tam of news of fighting in the south of Avdiivka where it seems that the Russian armed forces have captured the former military air defense base Ukrainian, near the DKAD, north of Donetsk, and also took prisoners among the soldiers, who surrendered when the Russians arrived, understanding that they had no escape. The Russians succeeded by surrounding the Ukrainian army troops in the former air defense base. The prisoners are believed to be soldiers of the presidential brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces named after Bohdan Khmelnitsky. They come under Russian control Chernyshevskij, st. Sportivnaya and part of the street. Sobornaya in the area of the first two streets. On the 23rd there were street clashes. In the Kam’yanka area the Russians are making progress. Occupying several trenches along the N-20 road.
The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reports on ongoing attempts by the Russian army to isolate the city; In the last 24 hours, the Russian Armed Forces carried out 17 attacks: 5 attacks near Novobakhmutovka, Stepove, Avdiivka and another 12 attacks south of Severny, Pervomajs’kij and Nevelsky.
The Russian army continues to advance along the road between Svatove and Kup”jans’k, taking control of an elevated position overlooking the town of Kotlyarivka from the south. This location could be strategic as it passes one of the main roads to Kup”jans’k ‘k. In general In the Kup”jans’k-Liman direction, Russian troops continue assault operations in the direction of Tabaivka and Berestove. A red zone has been added in an area up to 2.2 km wide and up to a maximum depth of 650 m
While the planes were bombing Kharkiv the 118BT unit of the Armed Forces of the Lugansk People’s Republic gained control of the village of Pletenivka northeast of Kharkiv on the border according to social media sources: ”This small village in the Volchansky district is very important for us . There is high ground there, a height from which it is easier for artillery to attack enemy positions.”
Bachmut Directorate (Artemovskoe). In Bohdanivka there are imminent battles. Russian fighters attacked from Bachmut. Northwest of Kleshchiivska, the Russian army storms the heights controlled by the Ukrainian armed forces.
Donetsk direction. The Russians advance to the Avdiivska section to the south. While Moscow’s troops repel regular attacks by the Ukrainian armed forces in the Tsar’s Hunt area. In the Marynka sector, the assault on the Ukrainian positions in Heorhiivka and Novomykhailivka continues.
Zaporozhzhie Directorate. In the Orechiv sector, Russian fighters advance west of Rabotino. Ukrainian armed forces respond with counterattacks in Verbove. On the Vremevsky ledge, the Ukrainians counterattacked in the Urozhaine area.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
