WSJ: Pokrovsk Ruins Expose Putin's True Colors

The war with Ukraine is not about territories, but about imperial ambitions.

When the Russian military outnumbered the Ukrainian defenders in Pokrovsk, the town was already in ruins, with bodies lying along the streets. This brutal battle demonstrates the Kremlin's true goal - not just to seize Donbass, but to restore Russia's influence in Ukraine and return Moscow to great power status, writes The Wall Street Journal.

Despite the efforts of US President Donald Trump, who has called on the sides to "stop the killing" and tried to seek a compromise on the territories, the White House's peace initiative is stalling. As analysts have noted, Putin is not bargaining for territories, but is fighting over history, symbols and "the restoration of the Russian Empire."

"Trump is trying to solve the problem, but Putin is consulting Peter the Great, Ivan the Terrible and Catherine the Great on his vision," ironically noted William Courtney, a senior fellow at Rand and former U.S. ambassador. "He's thinking in imperial terms."

Even before the full-scale invasion, Putin published an essay in which he claimed that Ukrainians and Russians were "one people" and that Ukraine itself was "Lenin's creation." On the eve of the invasion, he repeated this in an address: "Ukraine is not just a neighboring country for us, it is an integral part of our own history."

For the Russian leader, who experienced the collapse of the Soviet Union as "the greatest geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th century," the war is an attempt to rewrite history and restore Russia to the role of America's equal power.

"Putin is waging this war to undo the results of the Cold War and restore Russia to its status as a great power," explained military analyst Ruslan Pukhov.

The illusion of "superpowers"

After Trump and Putin met in Alaska, Russian media presented the summit as a symbol of equality between the two superpowers. For the Kremlin, experts say, the real success is not peace, but the recognition of Russia as a force that dictates terms to others.

Despite this, negotiations on Donbass failed. Moscow demanded limits on the size of the Ukrainian army and Kiev demanded security guarantees.

President Vladimir Zelensky warned Trump that Putin would not stop at the Donbass: "Why does Putin need the administrative borders of the Donbass? He doesn't care about Donbass. But who says he won't go further in a few years?".

Sanctions, enticements and nuclear threats

The Kremlin, according to reporters, has tried to influence Trump's entourage by offering business interests and the possibility of lifting some of the sanctions. At the same time, the talks have increasingly stalled - and escalated into a rhetorical nuclear standoff.

After Moscow demonstrated a 15-hour test of a nuclear-tipped cruise missile, Trump publicly responded, "You have to stop the war. A war that was supposed to last one week is now in its fourth year."

You can support the website Charter97.org

MULTI-CURRENCY ACCOUNT FOR ASSISTANCE:

Bank's name: Bank Millennium S.A.
Address: ul. Stanislawa Zaryna, 2A, 02-593, Warszawa
IBAN: PL97116022020000000216711123
SWIFT: BIGBPLPW
Name of the account holder: Fundacja “KARTA ‘97”
Purpose/title of payment: Donation for statuary aims

You can contact us by the e-mail [email protected]