Ukraine's bold and brilliant response to the Russian attack rightly drew the admiration of the whole world.. But we must not forget that the danger continues to increase.. Russian offensive on Kyiv and neighboring regions failed. In its new strategy, Moscow has focused on the east and south of Ukraine, where it can still succeed..

If this happens, Russia will turn Ukraine into an economically deformed country locked on land.. The Russian army will threaten it from three sides, threatening a new invasion. Much more military assistance from the West will be required to prevent such a catastrophic result.. Farid Zakaria, an American journalist and influential political analyst, writes about this on the pages of the Washington Post..

Military researcher and strategist Ken Kasapoglu noted quite accurately in the first weeks of fighting that two wars were unfolding in Ukraine at once.. One in the north and one in the south. And the second one will be more successful for Moscow. Russia was able to bring in troops and the necessary supplies from bases in the occupied Crimea to capture Melitopol and Kherson. Mariupol cordoned off by Russian troops. And the Ukrainian forces cannot get the necessary support. Ukraine's access to the Sea of \u200b\u200bAzov blocked. And Moscow has a chance to build a land corridor between Crimea and Donbass. Russian troops are also trying to move west of Kherson towards Odessa.

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The author notes that Odessa is a very big prize. Being the largest port through which Ukraine trades with the world, the city plays a key role for the Ukrainian economy. Odessa also has a great symbolic meaning. It was here that the riot on board the battleship " If Odessa falls, Ukraine will remain cut off from the Black Sea, which will effectively turn into a Russian lake.. It can be said that Moscow will try to expand its military force to Moldova, where it has already occupied Transnistria. Vladimir Putin will be able to present this as a great victory: Russian-speaking people are “liberated”, important cities and ports are taken under control, and Ukraine has become a “non-viable” state.

Can't let this happen. And the Ukrainian army is fighting fiercely to prevent this scenario.. Russian troops are trying to advance from Kherson to Nikolaev. But they are stopped by the extraordinary courage of local residents who blew up bridges on the way to Odessa, and also blocked the railway. This week, the Armed Forces of Ukraine used new Neptune anti-ship missiles, sinking the Russian missile cruiser Moskva.. However, it is important to remember that before the invasion, Russia spent 10 times more on the army than Ukraine.. And Putin, it seems, is going to push further, despite all the losses.

What the US and the West Can Do? Pretty much everything they've done so far. Ukraine needs more weapons, especially one that would give it a massive asymmetric fighting force. General Mark Hertling explained that the Armed Forces of Ukraine need equipment that will allow them to quickly maneuver around the hulking Russian forces.. And these are helicopters, armored Humvees, multiple rocket launchers and drones of all kinds.. Turkish Batraktar showed extreme efficiency. Hertling believes that Ukraine needs to transfer even more of these drones, as well as American kamikaze drones and reconnaissance drones..

Russian fleet in the Black Sea remains a big threat to Odessa. He can either besiege the city or carry out an amphibious landing along the Ukrainian line of defense. Ukraine needs funds to help it stop Russian ships. NATO should also consider repeating its experience during the wars in the Balkans in the 1990s. He must impose an embargo in these waters, preventing Russian troops from entering the water area or reinforcing the already existing contingent. NATO ships must operate in international waters, warning every ship in the water area of \u200b\u200btheir activities and forbidding them to enter the Black Sea basin.

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Former NATO Supreme Commander Admiral James Stavridis Backs Joe Biden Administration's Move to Transfer Aid to Ukraine. However, he called for a more aggressive response from the West on all fronts.. He wrote on Twitter that the Armed Forces of Ukraine should receive fighter jets, air defense systems, as well as cyberspace support and anti-ship missiles in order to " Since the beginning of the Russian invasion, the United States has transferred $16 billion in aid to Ukraine. But at the same time, the world will pay Moscow 320 billion for energy resources this year.. Economic sanctions won't force Putin to stop the war if such big gaps exist. The only thing that will force Putin to the negotiating table is defeat in the south. Plan A failed. Can't let his plan B succeed..

Earlier, CNN wrote that the next key battle of the Russian-Ukrainian war will be the battle for Sloviansk.. Since the city is of key strategic importance. If the enemy can take control of him, he will have the opportunity to cordon off the Ukrainian army in the Donbass.

In turn, the New York Times wrote that the battle for Donbass would be extremely fierce.. It will be very different from the fighting in the vicinity of Kyiv, Kharkov and Sumy. Because here the enemy knows the area better. And its supply chains are shorter.