Russian criticism of Western military aid to Ukraine is not new. But recent rhetoric reflects efforts to build public consensus for the need of a protracted — if not existential — war with the West.
"It is a war zone, but it is shocking that it happened close to us," Saviano Abreu, a spokesman for the U.N.'s humanitarian office, was quoted as saying. The attack killed one person: a journalist.
The U.S. now believes Ukraine can win, a significant change in thinking, and is rushing in weapons. This raises the risk of widening the conflict, analysts say, and may destabilize the global economy.
The longer Ukraine's army fends off the Russian invasion, the more it absorbs the advantages of Western weaponry and training — exactly the transformation Vladimir Putin wanted to prevent by invading.
Trans-Dniester doesn't usually get much attention. But European leaders are watching it closely because it hosts about 1,500 Russian troops and shares a 250-mile border with Ukraine.