Putin Has Been Rejected By The International Community As His Expectations For A Swift Victory Fade
On Saturday night, Vladimir Putin faced increased international isolation and the possibility of pariah status as long-time allies abruptly turned against him in the aftermath of the invasion of Ukraine, and western nations plotted more significant military and financial measures against Moscow.
Russia's president was left by his important ally, China, as his prospects of a fast victory faded in the face of stiff opposition from Ukrainian army and citizen volunteer armies, and his ultimatum demanding Kyiv's capitulation was fiercely brushed aside by Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
The most remarkable development was Germany's announcement on Saturday night that it would provide 1,000 anti-tank weaponry and 500 Stinger missiles from its own military stocks to Ukrainian soldiers.
"The Russian assault on Ukraine is a watershed moment," Germany's chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said, signaling a significant shift in his country's postwar military posture. "It jeopardizes the entire postwar order." In this situation, it is our responsibility to assist Ukraine in defending itself against Vladimir Putin's invasive army to the best of our ability. Germany is a staunch supporter of Ukraine."
After repeated requests from Kyiv, the German government is alleged to be caving in to tremendous pressure from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Canada to exclude Russia from the critical Swift banking payments system. German ministers' opinions on the subject were altering, according to sources in Berlin, and they were actively debating measures that "would strike them in the face."