Russia-Ukraine war: Diplomacy back in focus as heavy fighting continues in Bakhmut

In the ongoing war, the heaviest and bloodiest fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces remains in the key city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. At a time when more military assistance was pledged, diplomatic efforts have resumed in the hopes of ending the year-long conflict.

The battle for Bakhmut has been the longest in the war, with Ukraine’s military commanders saying that while it would not be long to carry out a counterattack, they stressed the importance of holding the line in the towns they control, including their defenses in Bakhmut while inflicting as much damage as possible. Defense Express director Serhiy Zgurets said that as talks of Kyiv’s counterattack have been under active discussion in the United States and Europe, Ukrainian diplomats will need to convince allies that a single advance to push back on Russian forces will not be enough for victory.

“It will mean training our soldiers in NATO member-states, securing the equipment and ammunition we need and planning to determine when and where to start the counter-attack, or if it should be in several places at once,” Zgurets wrote on the Espreso TV website.

In a video address to the US National Governors Association, Zelenskyy stressed the importance of taking immediate action to continue assisting Kyiv in its pushback against Moscow. Zelenskyy’s comments come as the US has pledged more assistance. The Russian embassy in the US has accused Washington of trying to drag out the war, according to the Russian news outlet TASS.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has also resulted in an unprecedented number of sanctions on Moscow, with many other countries adopting the sanctions. The British foreign ministry said in its intelligence update on Wednesday that Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced last week that Moscow plans to move some of Russia’s sovereign debt into foreign currencies. The ministry said this may be a hint that Russia is expecting external financial support from countries it considers to be “friendly.”

The ministry said that Russian banks have become the main entities that are purchasing state debt in recent months.

“They are unlikely to have the capacity to fully fund anticipated future budget deficits. Russian officials likely see external debt issuance as one way to plug gaps in Russia’s finances as they plan for a long war in Ukraine,” said the ministry.