Youtube link and transcript of this morning’s News X discussion of the taking of Velikaya Novosyolka

Transcript submitted by a reader

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzwHb6dyw2M

NewsX: 0:00
Russia continues its advances in Ukrainian territory. Its defense ministry has announced the capture of Velyka Novosylka [Velikaya Novosyolka], a strategically important town in eastern Donetsk region, whereas Ukraine says that its troops have only strategically withdrawn from certain areas. This capture, if confirmed, would make Velyka Novosylka the first significant town to capture in 2025. A day prior, Ukrainian air defenses downed 50 of 72 drones launched by Russia overnight.

0:34
Additionally, Ukraine’s general staff of the armed forces said that forces struck an oil refinery in the Russian region of Ryazan. The facility reportedly produces fuel for Russian military jets. Elsewhere, Ukrainian NGOs catering for the needs of war veterans and their families have claimed a suspension of US funding is forcing them to halt their work. This comes after newly sworn in US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced he would pause foreign aid grants for 90 days. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky later claimed that military aid to Ukraine would continue, but did not clarify whether humanitarian aid had been paused.

1:18
We are joined by our reporter Aditya Wadhawan. Aditya, what can you give us about these recent updates from the Russian-Ukraine war?

Wadhawan:
Well, Tom, as you can see, the Ukraine defense forces are claiming that they have hit the drone storage facility of Russia and they have stuck important Russian installations. On the other hand, Russia has been striking Ukraine for quite some time. What has happened recently since the new incoming Trump administration has taken charge of the United States of America, the Secretary of State Marco Rubio has halted the foreign aid that was being given to Ukraine as part of its 90-day halt of its foreign aid.

2:14
It is considered as a setback to Ukraine’s growing military prowess against Russia to defend itself. As per some reports, what has happened, the Trump administration has also indicated that they are no more interested in the reconstruction work in the war-torn Ukraine, and they have given that work to some private company. So we see the entire situation, you know, it is not looking very good for Ukraine, because it is, it was actually dependent upon a good missile, upon the missile system and its defensive procurement on United States of America. And halting this foreign assistance for another 90 days is considered to be a setback for Ukraine.

Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump for not providing aid to Ukraine, and this needs to be seen as to how this entire scenario in the Russia- Ukraine war proceeds from here. Yes Tom, back to you in the studio.

NewsX: 3:17
Thank you very much, Aditya. We are joined for more on this discussion by Professor Olexiy Haran, Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Kiev, Molya; and Gilbert Doktorow, Russian affairs expert live from Brussels.

Professor Haran, I wanted to come to you on this first question. How does the reported fall of Velyka Novosylka affect Ukraine’s military objectives in the Donetsk region, and how is Ukraine planning to regain strategic positions?

Haran: 3:54
Well, definitely I would say yes, we [have] withdrawn from the Velyka [and] Novosylka, and it creates better possibilities for Russia to continue its slow but still movement further in Donbass.

The question when we are talking why it happens, you know, I think that in order to organize successful defense, we need more resources including military resources. So in this sense, I would like to comment on the decision, well, to freeze for 90 days foreign aid support. As far as I understand, as far as we understand in Ukraine, it doesn’t include actually the military support. It’s more about support– definitely Trump may decrease it, but so far, you know, this military support is coming from other channels, not through the programs, definitely, of development.

5:11
What is true is the United States, yes, they stopped US aid, they stopped development programs in Ukraine for 90 days. And I would say definitely it’s bad, you know, because this US aid support in Ukraine doesn’t only include grants to NGOs, to free media, but it also includes very important areas of energy, of medicine, social sphere, which is really important in times of war. It’s a bit surprising for us– well, two countries are excluded from this freezing for 90 days. These are Egypt and Israel, which we may also understand why, but Ukraine is at war.

6:09
It’s not like other countries. It’s under attack. So definitely we think it’s not very just to stop development programs for Ukraine. By the way, these are, well, closed information, but it was discussed in the press that American diplomats in the State Department, they actually made a statement, closed statement to Rubio and others that it should be, that support to Ukraine should be continued.

NewsX: 6:47
Gilbert Doctorow, I wanted to get your response of that. I want to ask how does the capture of Velyka, Novosylka align with Russia’s broader military strategy in eastern Ukraine?

Gilbert Doctorow, PhD:
Well, I’m glad you gave me that question, because it touches directly on the meaning of the capture of that city, when my fellow panelist says that his country needs further military assistance. The military assistance, materiel, coming in from the West is useless to Ukraine if it cannot be brought to the front lines. And the capture of Velikaya Novosylka, that is precisely a part of the strategy that the Russians are implementing very successfully now. This city was one of the main logistics hubs.

7:40
The next city, and still greater target for Russian efforts, is Pokrovsk. And there you have the nexus, the rail lines, the truck lines, the roads, which are supplying the front. If the front cannot receive supplies, then it’s pointless to speak about anything else.

It’s wonderful that you are informing your viewers about the losses that the Ukrainians are experiencing on the battlefield, but you are not alone. The fact is that mainstream in the West, “The Financial Times”, “The New York Times”, other major newspapers across Europe, are daily reporting, finally, are daily reporting the serious reverses, the serious losses of manpower and of Western-supplied equipment of the Ukrainians on the battlefield, along the 1,200-kilometer-long line of demarcation or separation of the forces.

8:38
This is common knowledge. I salute Mr. Trump for his first week in office by decree ending US Government censorship. However, if nobody is reading or listening to the news that is available in mainstream, then what’s the point of it all?

The most important person not reading the news is Mr. Trump himself. He has been in the last week issuing utterly ignorant and foolish statements about the state of, the condition of the war, that supposedly the Russians and the Ukrainians are in a stalemate, and their lives are being lost for no purpose. Mr. Trump, open the newspaper and you will see it is not a stalemate.

9:21
Listen to this radio station and you will under– or television station, and you will know it is not a stalemate. The Russians are about to have a conclusive victory over the Ukrainian forces. And why on earth would they agree to do a pause, which is what you think you are going to negotiate with Mr. Putin? You will not.

NewsX: 9:42
Professor Haran, can I please get your response to that, please. And then I want to talk about the successful interception of 50 out of 72 Russian drones, and how significant is this achievement for Ukraine?

Haran:
Well, you know, we have attacks from Russia almost every day. Actually, the photos which you see behind me is my vicinity, where I live. So that’s what we have, you know … cruel Russian bombardments of civilian cities and civilian objects. So look, we intercept a lot of drones, but unfortunately not all. And that’s why we need defense system to close our skies. Look, I am really appalled. It seems to me that Mr. Doctorow, he is happy, you know, about– he would welcome Russian victory, the aggressor’s victory. I don’t understand why.

And actually, when we are talking, you know, that “Russia is successful, Russia is winning the war” and so on and so forth, let me remind that Putin wanted to seize Kiev.

NewsX: 10:57
I’m really sorry, we seem to have lost you, but we have also run out of time. We will now move to more news from across the world.