Commentary: Putin Should Know the Cost of Aggression Against Ukraine | Comments from DW Reviewers and Guest Contributors

More than 100,000 Russian soldiers with heavy weapons are pulled up to the border with Ukraine. Even experts who are not inclined to panic are alarmed by the presence of such a powerful offensive potential.

Moscow’s intentions can only be guessed at. But one thing is certain: this concentration of troops poses a threat designed to intimidate Ukraine and force the West to withdraw its military aid to that country. Such threats, however, can backfire politically.

NATO’s response to Russian aggression will be asymmetric

Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger

Speaking about this conflict, one should always remember that Ukraine is a sovereign state, the territorial integrity of which is grossly violated by Russia. Putin denies this state any sovereignty and assigns Ukraine to the sphere of his own power. He doesn’t care how Ukrainians feel about it.

Once again, Moscow is turning everything upside down: Putin claims that the military threat comes from a neighbor and scares him with a nightmare scenario of military confrontation. But he himself is heating up the situation! If Russia invades Ukraine, NATO will react asymmetrically with economic sanctions. Putin should know the cost of aggression. The price must be high. The West must also understand this.

Author: Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger, newspaper columnist Frankfurter General newspaper

Without the right to reprint. © Frankfurter General newspaper GmbH, Frankfurt am Main.

Newspaper website Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

The commentary expresses the personal opinion of the author. It may not coincide with the opinion of the Russian edition and Deutsche wave generally.

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Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

Checking weapons systems

So far, artillery fire on both sides of the Russian-Ukrainian border is being conducted for testing purposes. According to official figures, the troops are checking the combat readiness of their weapons systems. In a video released by the Russian Defense Ministry, a Russian self-propelled mortar fires.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

West expresses support for Ukraine

The West assures Kiev of its solidarity. In his first telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart, US President Joe Biden reaffirmed to Volodymyr Zelenskiy “the United States’ unwavering support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of Russia’s ongoing aggression in Donbas and Crimea.” Representatives of NATO and the EU made similar statements.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

Troops are pulling up to Donbass

In early March, Russia began to strengthen its military presence on the border with Ukraine. Moscow said that in this way it responds to Kiev’s provocations aimed at escalating the conflict in Donbass. According to observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), there were no provocations.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

American destroyers are already in the Black Sea

The US, NATO and the EU have pledged support to Ukraine in protecting its territorial integrity. On April 9, Ankara reported that the United States had already announced at the end of March the passage of two of its warships through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea. The picture shows one of two American destroyers that passed through the strait towards the Black Sea on March 20.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

A war that has been going on for seven years

The conflict in eastern Ukraine erupted in early 2014, when pro-Russian separatists took control of parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Ukraine. According to the authorities in Kiev and their Western allies, the Kremlin is helping the separatists by supplying illegal weapons and sending mercenaries. Since then, the parties to the conflict have repeatedly agreed on a ceasefire, but these agreements have been constantly violated.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

Bombed and destroyed

This man is standing on the ruins of his house, located on the territory of the self-proclaimed “DPR”. The house was destroyed during the fighting between the separatists and the Ukrainian army. They involve soldiers, mercenaries, separatists and paramilitary units. But the fighting has affected civilians again and again. At the beginning of 2019, according to the UN, about 3,300 civilians were killed in the Donbas.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

Clashes and deaths despite the truce

In total, since 2014, more than 13,000 people have died as a result of the fighting in Donbass. According to the OSCE, the current ceasefire, in effect since July 2020, has been relatively stable. However, shelling has recently become more frequent. In recent days, at least five Ukrainian soldiers and a five-year-old boy have been killed on the territory of the “DPR”. Kiev denies any involvement in his death.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

Zelensky presented awards to Ukrainian soldiers

On April 8, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited Donbass and tried to sort out the situation on the spot. He awarded the Ukrainian soldiers who distinguished themselves in their service at the front. And on April 10, Zelensky will meet with Turkish President Erdogan. Ukrainian media report that Zelensky is also scheduled to meet with French President Macron.

Time.news of a new aggravation of the conflict in Donbass

Russian citizenship under a simplified procedure

In 2019, Russia began to issue citizenship to residents of the “DPR” / “LPR” using a simplified procedure. According to various sources, about 600 thousand people with Russian citizenship now live there. Moscow has already announced that Russia will take all the necessary measures to protect them. A spokeswoman for the US president said the Russian military presence on the border with Ukraine is now the largest since 2014.

By Jan Walter, Kevin Mertens