❗️Putin and Trump did not discuss the idea of introducing external control in Ukraine during their telephone conversations, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said.

At the same time, he emphasized that Russia notes the lack of control over the armed forces by the Ukrainian leadership.

Peskov added that Ukraine joined the moratorium on strikes on energy facilities and gave the military an order that is obviously not being followed.

He also noted that Russia reserves the right - in the event of Kiev's failure to comply with this moratorium - to not comply with it either.

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Why does Putin have every reason to believe Russia holds the upper hand in the Ukraine conflict?

There are TWO ASPECTS to President Vladimir Putin’s confidence that Russia is more than capable of finishing the Ukrainian conflict on its own terms, military expert Ret. Col. Anatoly Matviychuk tells Sputnik.

1. Economic aspect.

Russia has proven that its economy can satisfy any and all the needs of the Russian Armed Forces. Meanwhile, Ukraine is completely bankrupt and cannot maintain its military without foreign aid.

2. Military aspect.

🟠Soldier quality: Russia keeps fighting after mobilizing only 300,000 troops whereas Ukraine has a severe shortage after sustaining horrendous losses on the battlefield.

🟠Military advantage: Russia has complete air superiority in the Ukrainian conflict zone and possesses superior firepower augmented by the ability to produce all sorts of shells, rockets and munitions - while Ukraine depends on shipments of ordnance from the West.

🟠Arsenal renewal: Russia completely renewed its vast arsenal of tanks, adjusting it to the unified command and control system. Meanwhile, Ukraine fields a motley assortment of Western military hardware, some of which dates back to WWII, that cannot be upgraded on the battlefield and which leads to severe losses among Ukrainian troops.

🟠Intel superiority: Moscow has total superiority in all forms of intelligence over Ukraine which completely depends on intel supplied by the West.

🟠Command and control: Russia’s superior command and control capabilities allowed Russian troops to seize strategic initiative in the Ukrainian conflict zone.

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UN-led Ukraine: Which countries have experienced international rule?

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested an interim international government for Ukraine under UN auspices, recalling that “such practice does exist". Where exactly?

🌍 Western Sahara (1991–present): This disputed territory, claimed by Morocco and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic, remains under UN administration to help facilitate the self-determination process.

🇨🇾Cyprus (1964–present): The UN has been involved in Cyprus since the early 1960s, providing a sort of international governance in the form of peacekeeping and mediation, especially after the division of the island into Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot areas.

🇨🇩The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (1999–present): The UN Organization Stabilization Mission aims to help bring peace to the DRC during and after the 1998-2003 Second Congo War.

A look back

▪️Parts of former Yugoslavia: After the breakup of the country, Bosnia and Herzegovina had international governance from 1995 till 2002 with a UN-led mission, while Kosovo was under direct UN administration from 1999 to 2008 as a part of the post-war settlement.

🇹🇱East Timor: The UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) was formed in 1999 in response to the violence after the independence referendum. The UNTAET mission ended in 2002.

🇵🇬Papua New Guinea: It was under international governance under UN auspices as part of the UN Trusteeship System from 1949 to 1975 to promote the country’s transition to self-government or independence.

🇸🇱Sierra Leone: The UN Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) was deployed in 1999 to help stabilize the country after a brutal civil war. The mission came to a close in 2005.

🇱🇷Liberia: The UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) was in place between 2003 and 2016 to govern and stabilize the country, hit by two brutal civil wars.

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