The Israel-Gaza war is “taking away the focus” from the conflict in Ukraine, the country’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has admitted.
He said this was “one of the goals” of Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
And he denied that fighting in Ukraine had reached a stalemate, despite a recent assessment to this effect by the country’s top military general.
Ukraine’s counter-offensive in the south has so far made little headway.
This has prompted fears of war fatigue among Kyiv’s Western allies, with suggestions of growing reluctance in some capitals to continue giving Ukraine advanced weapons and funds.
While I agree immediately jumping to “Russia is backing this” is a small leap, this is hardle sophisticated, and hardly new. Russia and the US jave been involved in proxy wars for decades. Literally as long as either has been around, more or less, but pretty open about it since the cold war.
And hamas officials meeting with putin in Russia doesn’t sell the “Russia isn’t behind it” story either.
I believe it’s certainly possible, if not probable, but given tensions in the are never easy in occupied Palestine, it’s no surprise an oppressed people hit back once in awhile. It doesn’t take much prodding.