Despite fierce fighting in and around the Ukrainian city of Bachmut, neither side is making any headway. “The mercenary army of the Wagner Group is doing its best, but if you speak in terms of victories and defeats, you can’t point to anyone,” says BNR foreign commentator Bernard Hammelburg.
“If you define getting along as moving one way or the other, then that’s not quite the case,” says Hammelburg. “The bombings in the region are terrible, but have little effect.”
A Russian bombing of Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine, not far from Bachmut, would have claimed 600 lives. But much is unclear about the actual number. “According to Reuters reporters, there are many damaged buildings, but they have not recorded any casualties. And zero and 600 are very far apart.’
Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov, however, says the death toll is correct. “The justice minister himself says so, so it’s true,” Hammelburg said quoting Russian President Putin’s spokesman.
Von Clausewitz
It is not the first example of a different number of victims reported. About 90 soldiers were killed in a Ukrainian shelling of a barracks and adjacent ammunition depot, according to the Russians. Ukraine has spoken of over 400 dead. “A good example,” says Hammelburg. “There is no objective way to find out these things. The only way to do that is to go to the scene and start counting bodies. And that’s not all.’ According to Hammelburg that communication is one of the weapons in warfare. ‘Famous German strategist Carl von Clausewitz once stated. There are all kinds of weapons, including communications.’
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Lying back and forth may have a purpose, Hammelburg says. “The story of 600 dead is directed to the Russian media. There you also see such stories about Russian successes at the front.”
OSCE
At the same time, the question is raised whether Russia should remain a member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Established during the Cold War by the then Soviet Union, the Warsaw Pact and NATO, the OSCE oversees peace and security in Europe. According to Hammelburg, it is important for Russia to remain a member of the organization. “You have to have a place where you can look into each other’s eyes,” Hammelburg points out. ‘Removing Russia from all kinds of international forums is clumsy and serves no purpose. It’s a kind of retaliation.”
After the annexation of Crimea, Russia was expelled from the G8, which now continues as the G7. The country was also expelled from the NATO-Russia Council. «The OSCE is one of the few bodies of which Russia is still a member. My reasoning is that you need a place where diplomats see each other and talk to each other.’
Helga Maria Schmid, Secretary General of the OSCE, has now also spoken out against the exclusion of Russia, as requested by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Source: BNR
Sharon Rock is an author and journalist who writes for 24 News Globe. She has a passion for learning about different cultures and understanding the complexities of the world. With a talent for explaining complex global issues in an accessible and engaging way, Sharon has become a respected voice in the field of world news journalism.
