The Ukrainian army has got better at fighting Russian-backed separatists
But now war of a different kind looms
WHAT TO MAKE of the military analysts who calmly list the reasons why the most serious war in Europe since 1945 might begin in January? The flat, muddy terrain of south-eastern Ukraine will be frozen solid by then, allowing Russian tanks to roll in. It is in the middle of the deployment cycle for the conscripts who make up much of Russia’s ground forces. And Russia may find itself with a pretext for invasion, since the new year has in the past brought front-line flare-ups in Ukraine’s war against Russian-backed separatists. Besides, the 100,000 Russian troops massed near the border are more than mere theatre; Russia is setting up field hospitals and calling up its reserves.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Waiting for the freeze”
Europe December 4th 2021
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- Linguistic trivia highlight Spain’s enduring cultural divisions
- The Ukrainian army has got better at fighting Russian-backed separatists
- Nord Stream 2 could still sabotage German-American relations
- Might Silvio Berlusconi become the next president of Italy?
- Why bullshit rules in Brussels
From the December 4th 2021 edition
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