Vladimir Putin appears to be ignoring all of Donald Trump’s pleas for peace, after appointing a new army commander known for his hardline views. The US President has expressed his growing frustration at Putin’s escalation of the war in Ukraine.
Following an intense drone and missile onslaught on Ukrainian cities over the weekend, Trump warned Putin he was “playing with fire” and that any attempt to conquer all of the country would lead to the “downfall” of Russia. The Republican leader also appeared to give the Kremlin tyrant a two-week ultimatum to get serious about peace talks or face the consequences at a White House press conference on Wednesday.
However, it appears the Russian president remains more determined than ever to pursue the total conquest of Ukraine and could even be considering expanding the theatre of war.
Putin recently appointed Colonel General Andrey Mordvichev as the head of the Russian army’s ground forces in Ukraine.
The senior officer has previously gone on record saying that Ukraine was just the beginning and not the end of Russian military operations in Europe.
The Colonel General gave an interview to the Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov back in July 2023.
Replying to a question about how long the war would last, Mordvichev said: “I think there is still plenty of time to be spent.
“It is pointless to talk about a definite timeframe. If we are talking about Eastern Europe, which we will have to…then it will be longer, of course.”
Asked whether Ukraine was only a “stepping stone” to further military operations, he ominously said: “Yes, you are absolutely right. It is only the beginning.
“I think that all kinds of ideologists and instigators of this war will not stop here.”
Mordvichev is an innovative commander, able to think outside the box and has subtly adapted Russian tactics on the battlefield.
He is credited with the tactic of sending small groups of infantry in light vehicles to rapidly breakthrough Ukrainian defences, allowing bigger assault teams to then exploit the breaches.
Anton Gerashchenko said the appointment of the commander showed the real intentions of Putin.
In a post to his X social media account, the former adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry said: “This appointment is evidence that Putin is not waiting for the results of the negotiations, but is planning to actively continue the war and the summer campaign of 2025.”