Russia's phantom gains in Ukraine
For Moscow, diplomacy is simply a continuation of war by other means. Since the start of talks with the US on a peace agreement in Ukraine, Vladimir Putin has relied more than ever on a tactic inherited from the Soviet era. The Russian leader tries to obtain through negotiation what he has failed to achieve on the battlefield. Eager to portray Russia as a powerful nation, he has made numerous statements about the progress of his troops. In reality, their advances have been modest and costly. Putin's aim is clear: To create the impression of an inevitable Russian victory, increase pressure on both the Americans and Europeans to accept his maximalist demands, and force Kyiv to cede significant territory, some of which Moscow's forces have not yet captured. Russia, which occupies 20% of Ukrainian territory, has claimed to have taken the city of Pokrovsk, though it only partially controls it, according to military analysts. The Kremlin aims to replicate the scenario that benefited it during the war in the Donbas in 2015, when the encirclement of Ukrainian forces at Debaltseve forced Kyiv to sign the Minsk II agreement, which was unfavorable to Ukraine. Similarly, on December 2, just before he met with US President Donald Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff at the Kremlin, Putin told the press that Russian forces had controlled Kupiansk for several weeks. However, according to the Ukrainian website DeepStateMap, which maps the front lines daily, part of the city remains under Ukrainian control. Experts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) say this Russian disinformation tactic has a name: "cognitive warfare." The strategy has now found a prime target in Trump. In a December 9 interview with Politico, the American president repeated the Kremlin's talking points verbatim: "Russia has the upper hand, and they always did," he said. "They are much bigger. They are much stronger (...). You know, at some point, size will win, generally." You have 77.35% of this article left to read. The rest is for subscribers only.
