The battle around Red Army Village has been ongoing for nearly two years, with Russia claiming to have seized the village a few days ago. However, on December 6th, the Ukrainian armed forces released a video showing soldiers from the 25th Airborne Assault Brigade raising the Ukrainian flag in the northern part of the city area of Red Army Village. The footage depicted a demolished and dilapidated residential building, located to the north of the road that cuts through Red Army Village. Currently, most of the southern areas of the Red Army Village road are under Russian control.
From January to December, we can observe changes in the frontlines near Red Army Village. The video clearly shows Russia’s attack strategy, focusing on attacking the northern and western parts of Red Army Village in a pincer movement, aiming to eventually encircle the Red Army Village area to the north. Although the video may not be entirely accurate, it reflects the trends on the battlefield.
In early December, the Russian Ministry of Defense released a video showing Russian soldiers patrolling the central area of Red Army Village and raising the Russian flag. This confirms that the central and south-central areas of Red Army Village are under Russian control. The footage also reveals the complete devastation caused by the war in what was once a city of 100,000 people.
In a video from the frontlines, several Russian soldiers are seen riding motorcycles, which have become a common means of transportation in this campaign. In the distance, Russian main battle tanks can be seen advancing. These tanks are notably equipped with exaggerated camouflage, including large metal cages and branches on top, mainly to counter Ukrainian drone reconnaissance and suicide attacks. This highlights how the three-year Ukrainian war has brought significant changes to modern warfare, even altering the appearance of main battle tanks.
On December 6th, Russia launched massive airstrikes against Ukraine, with the Ukrainian Air Force detecting and tracking a total of 704 aerial targets, including 51 missiles, 17 ballistic missiles, and 653 various types of drones, with over 300 of them being Iranian-made Shahed drones. Ukrainian Air Force footage shows multiple interception attempts through various means, including deploying 16 Mirage fighter jets to launch missiles and using onboard guns to shoot down slow-flying Shahed drones.
In late November, the US government presented a 28-point peace agreement. In early December, Trump’s son-in-law Kushner and negotiator Whitkov arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials, including President Putin. Official statements indicated no substantial agreement on key peace issues. President Trump mentioned progress at the meeting at the Kremlin but doubted immediate results.
Putin’s aide Ushakov told reporters that no compromise was reached on the most critical territorial issues in Moscow. Russia insists on recognizing occupied Ukrainian territories as Russian soil and demands a complete Ukrainian withdrawal from the entire Donetsk region, terms unacceptable to Ukraine.
In my opinion, the negotiation strategy of the Trump administration has been ineffective so far. Whether in the US or the overseas Chinese community, there is a common belief that President Trump has been attempting to end the war in Ukraine and bring peace, which is not entirely misguided.
The idea of ending the war in Ukraine and bringing peace is undoubtedly commendable. However, the current negotiation tactics of the Trump administration have not succeeded.
At the beginning of this year, both Ukraine and Russia were reluctant to cease fire. The US government, under pressure from this situation, including suspending intelligence sharing and ending military assistance, led Ukraine to retreat from the Kurz region. In subsequent negotiations, the Ukrainian government gradually accepted ceasefire agreements along the current contact line, under these conditions.
The core issue of the Ukrainian war is that Russia is unwilling to stop fighting. Russia, being the aggressive party in the conflict, holds the power to bring peace easily by not launching attacks. However, if Putin believes that continuing the current battlefield strategy yields benefits, why would he halt? As Putin previously stated in a television interview, Russian forces would ultimately control the Donetsk region through military means. Thus, Russia is reluctant to accept a ceasefire or peace under this mindset.
The US, as a mediator, should not press Ukraine under these circumstances, as Ukraine has accepted the ceasefire conditions along the current contact line. Instead, the US should apply pressure on Russia. Only when Russia realizes that they cannot gain an advantage on the battlefield, that pushing forward yields no progress, will Putin cease the war.
Unfortunately, the Trump administration has only imposed sanctions on two major Russian oil companies and imposed a second-tier tariff on India.
On the battlefield, Ukraine is in a disadvantaged position, with the scales tipping in favor of Russia. Russia possesses more military resources, manpower, and a vast military-industrial complex.
Yet, morally, the balance should lean towards Ukraine. Ukraine is the victim in this war, initiated by Russia, continuously bombarding civilian facilities such as hospitals, energy infrastructure, and schools over the three-year conflict. This is the most intolerable aspect for me.
Many right-wing voices claim that Putin launched the war to protect Russian-speaking residents in Eastern Ukraine. However, in the past three years of war, how many missiles and drones has Putin launched at Russian-speaking residents in Eastern Ukraine, Kherson, and Kharkiv? Can these actions be considered as protecting Russian residents?
Trump insists that Ukraine has a weak hand. Indeed, Ukraine’s hand is limited in this conflict. Nevertheless, as a mediator, the US should use its hand to help Ukraine restore balance on the battlefield, rather than weakening the negotiating position of the Ukrainian government or undermining their hand, such as the Kurz region.
On the US political spectrum, I am a staunch right-winger. I have participated in numerous Republican political activities since coming to the US. However, right and wrong are not determined by left or right ideological divisions. The Trump administration has both its strengths and weaknesses. Before his election as president, Trump claimed he could end the war immediately upon taking office. However, after a year, it is evident that Trump has used various means without achieving this goal, indicating that his understanding of the Ukrainian issue before was too simplistic or immature.
If Trump genuinely wants to bring peace to Ukraine, I believe the US, as the global hegemon, should use its hand to help bring fair and lasting peace to Ukraine.
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