Putin’s ‘pride’ leads to huge casualties at Avdiivka | Maj. Gen. Tim Cross
The war in Ukraine has entered its second year, with no end in sight. The conflict has claimed the lives of thousands of people, displaced millions more, and disrupted the global economy and security. But what is driving this senseless war? What are the motives and goals of the main actors involved? And what are the consequences for the region and the world?
One of the key players in this war is Russian President Vladimir Putin, who launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, after years of supporting pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Donbas region. Putin’s decision to attack Ukraine was motivated by a mix of personal, political, and strategic factors, according to various analysts and experts.
On a personal level, Putin was driven by resentment and revenge against Ukraine, which he saw as a traitor to the Russian world and a threat to his regime. Putin was particularly angered by the sanctions imposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on three pro-Russian TV channels and the arrest of his close ally and godson, Viktor Medvedchuk, on treason charges in 2021. Putin also felt humiliated by the popular uprising that ousted pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014, and the subsequent integration of Ukraine into the Western sphere of influence.
On a political level, Putin sought to boost his domestic popularity and legitimacy, which had been eroded by the COVID-19 pandemic, the economic crisis, the opposition protests, and the corruption scandals. Putin hoped to rally the Russian people around a nationalist and patriotic cause, and to distract them from the internal problems and grievances. Putin also wanted to assert his authority and influence in the region, and to challenge the West, especially the United States and NATO, which he perceived as hostile and encroaching on Russia’s interests and security.
On a strategic level, Putin aimed to destabilize and weaken Ukraine, and to prevent it from joining NATO and the European Union. Putin feared that a democratic and prosperous Ukraine would pose a model and a magnet for other former Soviet republics, and would undermine his vision of a Eurasian Union led by Russia. Putin also wanted to secure Russia’s access and control over the Black Sea and the Crimean Peninsula, which he annexed in 2014, and to exploit Ukraine’s rich natural resources, especially its fertile land and its gas and oil reserves.
However, Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has not achieved his desired outcomes, and has instead backfired on him and on Russia. The war has met with strong resistance and resilience from the Ukrainian armed forces and the Ukrainian people, who have defended their sovereignty and territorial integrity with courage and determination. The war has also provoked a united and firm response from the international community, which has condemned Russia’s aggression and imposed new and tougher sanctions on Russia, isolating it diplomatically and economically. It has exposed the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the Russian military and political system, which has suffered heavy losses and casualties, and has faced growing discontent and dissent from the Russian public and the Russian elite.
One of the most tragic and symbolic examples of the futility and brutality of the war is the battle of Avdiivka, a strategic city in the Donetsk region, which has been under siege and bombardment by the Russian forces for over a month. Avdiivka has been described as a “gateway” to the Russian-occupied Donetsk city, and as a “Stalingrad” of the 21st century, where thousands of soldiers and civilians have been killed or wounded, and where the infrastructure and the environment have been devastated. The battle of Avdiivka has also revealed the human cost and the humanitarian crisis caused by the war, as millions of people are in need of food, water, shelter, medicine, and protection.
In a recent interview with Times Radio, Major General Tim Cross, a former British army officer and a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, commented on the situation in Avdiivka and the war in Ukraine. He said that the war was “a tragedy” and “a waste of life”, and that it was driven by Putin’s “pride”, “prestige”, and “psychological messaging”. He said that Putin was trying to send a message to the West that he was “a great leader” and that he could “do what he likes”. He also said that Putin was “deluded” and “living in a bubble”, and that he was “losing the war” and “losing the respect of the world”.
Major General Cross called for a peaceful and diplomatic resolution of the conflict, based on the UN Charter and international law. He said that the war was “not in anyone’s interest”, and that it was “damaging the global economy and security”. He urged the international community to support Ukraine and to pressure Russia to stop the war and to respect Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. He also appealed to the Russian people and the Russian elite to challenge Putin and to demand a change of course and a change of leadership.
The war in Ukraine is a war of choice, not a war of necessity. It is a war that could have been avoided, and that can still be ended. It is a war that has no winners, only losers. It is a war that is harming not only Ukraine and Russia, but also the region and the world. It is a war that must stop, before it is too late.
