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Christian Mölling expects Russia to make further advances in Ukraine

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stern podcast “The situation – international”
Mölling expects Ukraine to lose further territory

Russian troops are on the offensive in Ukraine

© AFP

The Ukrainian troops are under massive pressure – and, according to security expert Christian Mölling, are being pushed back further.

The security expert Christian Mölling expects the Ukrainians to further lose territory in the east of the country. Mölling said on Friday star-Podcast “The situation – international”, Russia is currently trying to use the time until the new American arms deliveries arrive and are ready for use. The situation is “so fragile that we don’t know how much will still be lost,” analyzed the research director of the German Council on Foreign Relations. He also referred to May 9th next week, which is celebrated in Russia as Victory Day over Nazi Germany and on which the Russian leadership wants to demonstrate success. However, Mölling expressly did not expect the Russians to be able to conquer large cities very soon. An offensive by the occupiers in Donbass is possible in the next few weeks. The expert complained that solidarity and support for Ukraine was promised in the capitals of the NATO states, but then not enough action was taken: “The rhetoric in the West is becoming louder and more certain. At the same time, you have to say: with what weapons?”

No party expects a real peace agreement anymore

In the immediate future, Mölling saw no prospect of resolving the conflict or even halting the fighting. He also did not expect the international conference planned for mid-June in Switzerland to have any immediate impact on the war. “Some Ukrainians are convinced that the high visibility of such a conference can put pressure on Russia,” he said. Ultimately, the aim is to achieve a situation in which both sides no longer expect any advantages from continuing the dispute. “That’s not the case now,” he says. Such a point could be reached later. Then it is possible that both parties to the conflict said: “We are giving ourselves a breathing space.” The opponents did not believe in a real peace agreement anyway. Through its behavior, Russia has put itself in a situation where it is far outside the law and has lost all credibility as a contractual partner. “It’s not about the ink under the contract,” he said. “Nobody will give a damn about a contract anymore.”