by Stephen Lendman

A previous article explained the following:

The battle to liberate the Donbass city of Mariupol was effectively won.

Nazified Ukrainian forces infesting the city were reduced from around 20,000 to scattered remnants — hiding in basements and other residential areas behind civilians as human shields.

Russia agreed to decrease its military activity around Kiev and Chernigov for the following reasons:

It wants destruction of these cities and large numbers of civilian casualties avoided.

It does not intend to occupy these cities.

Key as well is its focus to liberate Donbass from the scourge Nazified occupation entirely — to restore peace and normality to the lives of its people after 8 years of suffering.

So Russia will shift some of its forces to the task of accomplishing this objective as soon as possible.

Russian delegates made no formal commitments to their Ukrainian counterparts.

Written proposals they submitted will be reviewed in Moscow.

A formal response will follow.

Whatever Russia agrees to must be approved by its Defense Ministry and Vladimir Putin.

Things have not progressed to where they're ready to commit to anything.

They know well.

Time and again, the West and its proxies say one thing, then do something entirely different.

Ukraine has no decision making authority on all things related to Russia and its special military operation.

Hegemon USA controls the country and its puppet leadership.

What's announced by Kiev has US fingerprints all over it.

As for the status of Russia's special military operation in its 35th day, Ukraine's military capabilities were largely destroyed.

What remains is largely fragmented and surrounded.

On Tuesday, no ceasefire was agreed on in Istanbul.

Russia's operation to demilitarize, deNazify and neutralized Ukraine continues as planned.

At this time, liberating Donbass entirely is prioritized.

When prepared, the Kremlin will present a counter-proposal to what came out of Istanbul talks.

On Tuesday, Donetsk leader Denis Pushilin said "the wish (for the DPR to be part of) Russia (was) obvious since 2014."

"However, the main task today is to regain the constitutional borders of the Republic. Then we'll make up our mind."

Sentiment in Lugansk by its leadership is much the same.

If referendums were held in both republics, their majority Russian speaking populations almost surely would vote overwhelmingly to join Russia.

Moscow should have agreed to this after the Obama/Biden regime's 2014 Maidan.

It's long overdue time to correct that strategic mistake.

They'll be time enough to take this step when conflict ends.

For now, Russia's top priority is to achieve its strategic aims by eliminating the threat posed to its security by US-controlled, Nazified Ukraine.

Separately on Wednesday, Sergey Lavrov and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, are meeting in Tunxi for talks on Ukraine and related issues.

On Thursday and Friday in the city, he'll meet as well with foreign ministers from Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.

Officials from Qatar and Indonesia are attending the sessions as guests.

Ahead of planned discussions, China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced the following on Monday:

"State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the third Meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan in Tunxi, Anhui on March 30 and 31." 

"Foreign Ministers or representatives of Pakistan, Iran, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan will attend the meeting." 

"Subsequently, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi will chair the 'Neighboring Countries of Afghanistan Plus Afghanistan Foreign Ministers' Dialogue." 

"Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi of the Afghan interim government will attend the Dialogue upon invitation, and the foreign ministers of Indonesia and Qatar will be invited as guests."

Russia's Foreign Ministry made a similar announcement, adding:

After his China visit, Lavrov "will take part in a number of bilateral meetings in Moscow next week."

Separately, it needs to be stressed once again that Russia's operation is proceeding as planned.

Analyst Larry Johnson explained that Russian forces approached the outskirts of Kiev in nearly half the time it took for Nazi Germany's Wehrmacht to achieve this aim in 1941 — with a combat force of around four million troops.

And Russian advances gained control of Ukrainian territory the size of Great Britain with minimal casualties.

Phony claims otherwise by Kiev and Western MSM turned truth on its head.

Johnson also noted the failure of hegemon USA to "pacify Afghanistan" — despite 20 years of trying.

Nor North Korea, Vietnam, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Cuba or other nations it targeted for regime change.

And note the following:

According to Levada Analytical Center polling data, Vladimir Putin's approval rating exceeded 70% in February this year.

All-Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VTsIOM) polling from March 14 - 20 showed that "80.6% of Russians…trust Vladimir Putin."

In stark contrast, US public approval of the fake Biden is 38%, based on Quinnipiac University polling data.

Only 28% of Ukrainians approve of puppet Zelensky's handling of things, based on Statista Research polling.

A Final Comment

Echoing its tyrannical past, at least two German states — Bavaria and Lower Saxony —  banned public use of the letter "Z."

In Bavaia's capital Munich, Hitler staged his failed November 1923 beer hall putsch. 

Nearly 100 years ago, Munich became infamous as the founding city and nerve center of the Nazi party.

Are echoes of Nazism emerging again? And not just in Munich, Bavaria overall and Lower Saxony?

In these — and perhaps other German states — anyone displaying the letter "Z" in public faces imprisonment of up to three years.

Throughout the US/West, greatly eroded speech, media, academic and other freedoms are on track toward disappearing altogether ahead.