April 4 is an unusual day.
On this day 73 years ago, the United States signed the North Atlantic Treaty with 11 countries, including Britain, France, Canada, and Italy, nato was formally established, and the main threats facing the world after World War II were born.
Over the past 73 years, NATO has ostensibly flaunted the banner of "protecting allies", but in fact it has done the work of fanning the world and exporting turmoil, and behind the war in Afghanistan and the iraq war, there are all NATO coalition forces.
Not to mention, in 1999, THE US-led NATO forces launched a 78-day bombing campaign against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, killing more than 3,500 people and injuring about 12,500.
Now, 23 years later, NATO has not only failed to acknowledge its atrocities, but also has not apologized and repented for what it has done.
In short, in the 73 years since its founding, NATO has not become a protective alliance as it said when it was founded in 1949, but has become a "initiator" that specializes in exporting turmoil and creating regional conflicts.
At present, NATO has expanded its membership from 12 to 30 through "eastward expansion" again and again, and the security threat to Russia has become increasingly large, which has directly led to the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
April 4 is also the 40th day of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
At present, although some progress has been made in the Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, the two sides will not cease fire if the peace treaty is not reached for one day.
In particular, as the Russian army began to "shrink the front" and move to Donbass, there was still a fierce and crucial battle between Russia and Ukraine to be fought.
On the one hand, the rekindling of the conflict in the eastern region of Ukraine is one of the important factors leading to russia's troops to Ukraine; on the other hand, according to the latest round of negotiations, Ukraine has agreed to give up joining NATO and abandon nuclear weapons, and the strategic objectives of Russia have been half completed.
As for the remaining half, it is to demand that Ukraine recognize the independence of Uzbekistan and eastern Ukraine, and to help Uzbekistan "become independent". Since this involves the issue of Ukraine's territorial sovereignty, the Ukrainian army will certainly not let go easily, and the Russian army, which is already dominant, will not give up easily.
Therefore, the next battle of Donbass is not only a hard battle, but also likely to be the "final battle" of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
At present, in order to gain more advantages and chances of victory, both Russia and Ukraine are actively preparing for war.
First of all, on the Ukrainian side, as Russian troops began to withdraw from Kiev and other places, the Ukrainian army is rapidly "recovering the lost ground."
It is foreseeable that with the "end" of the fighting outside the Donbass region, it is only a matter of time before the Ukrainian army also switches to Donbass.
At the same time, Ukraine has announced the recall of overseas peacekeepers, recruited a number of Western mercenaries, and demanded a large number of weapons and equipment from the United States and Britain.
On the 4th, British Prime Minister Johnson announced that he would once again provide military assistance worth 300 million pounds to Ukraine; before that, the United States, France, Germany and other countries also announced similar decisions.
In addition, in the process of preparing for war, there are two details that cannot be ignored.
First, after the Ukrainian army successfully raided the oil depot in the Russian Belgorod Oblast on April 1, on the evening of the 3rd, another explosion occurred in Tomarovka in the Oblast, but there were no casualties, and the Russian side suspected that the Ukrainian army was responsible.
It can be seen from this that the Ukrainian army still has considerable combat effectiveness.
Second, the Russian-Ukrainian conflict has been fought for more than a month, and it is still unknown who the supreme commander of the Ukrainian army is, nor does it know where the more than 100,000 main forces of the Ukrainian army are now.
At least, judging from the fact that this conflict lasted for more than a month, it is enough to show the tenacity of the Ukrainian army and the combat strength of the Ukrainian army is not as bad as the outside world predicts.
This can't help but worry that if the Ukrainian army pounces on the Battle of Donbass, coupled with the counterattack of the "Azov Battalion" armed forces, the pressure on the Russian side will be great, and the intensity of the battle will be far more than expected.
By then, the ruins, displacement and casualties in the Donbass region will be even more severe.
Of course, the Ukrainian army is preparing for war, the United States and Britain and other countries are constantly sending weapons, and Russia is not idle.
At present, the Russian side has a total of 4 armed forces in Donbas - the main force of the Russian army; the Chechen troops who arrived in Donbass early and are good at street fighting; and the Donetsk armed forces and the Luhansk armed forces.
According to Western media, the Russian army is currently transporting weapons and equipment to the Donbass region by train.
At the same time, in terms of personnel replenishment, the Russian Satellite News Agency reported that hundreds of Syrian soldiers are currently traveling to Ukraine to assist the Russian army in combat, and pointed out that these Syrian soldiers will first arrive in Russia for military training or take a short rest, and then go to the war zone.
It is reported that the first batch of Syrian armed personnel arrived in Russia exceeded 300 people, and most of them came from a division of the Syrian Armed Forces, and more personnel will arrive in the future, and the number is expected to reach thousands.
In fact, the syrian fighters' trip to Ukraine to fight was the result of Putin's approval. At the time, Putin's exact words were that if someone was willing to help people in the Donbass region on a voluntary and "not for money" basis, then russia would cooperate with them and help them get to the war zone.
As we all know, the Middle East is a place of frequent turmoil, and Syria, which once stood at the center of the whirlpool, was hit by war. However, the suffering of the war has also spawned a large number of veterans with rich combat experience.
There is no doubt that the Syrian soldiers who are now going to Ukraine to assist the Russian army in battle should be veterans.
In short, there are American and Western mercenaries on the Ukrainian side to help, and the Russian army also has old friends as helpers. To some extent, this can also be regarded as the Russian side's "change of strain".
However, it should be noted that not only Syrian soldiers but also American veterans have gone to Ukraine to help the Russian army fight.
Russell Bentley
On the 4th, a 61-year-old American veteran named Russell Bentley shared a video of himself going to the Donbass region to help the Russian army fight on the Internet. Among them, Bentley walked through the video of Donbass with the Russian army, which quickly became popular on the Internet, and more people knew about his deeds.
If I remember correctly, this is the first time since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict that Westerners with military backgrounds have joined the combat ranks of the Russian army.
Moreover, Bentley's goal was clear: to go to Donbass to protect civilians and eliminate the "Azov Battalion" forces.
It has to be said that it is difficult to say what kind of words should be used to define Bentley's behavior. But the only thing that is certain is that the United States, which has been busy "fanning the flames" and sending weapons to Ukraine, will be "very unable to get off the stage" after learning of Bentley's deeds, and its face will be dull.
Finally, let's talk about 3 superficial points.
The first month will be an important moment to change the situation in Russia and Ukraine. In other words, the Battle of Donbass will be one of the key factors in the final outcome of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
On the one hand, what is not available on the battlefield is even more difficult to obtain at the negotiating table.
If the Russian side wins the Battle of Donbass, then Ukraine will have little room for maneuver in "recognizing the independence of Uzbekistan and Eastern Ukraine"; conversely, if the Ukrainian army wins, Kiev will have more confidence at the negotiating table, and it will be more difficult for Russia to achieve its goal.
On the other hand, although Russia and Ukraine have been fighting for more than a month, the real frontal and large-scale confrontation has not occurred. If Donbass is the final battle, will Russia and Ukraine completely let go?
In short, the situation on the battlefield is virtual and ever-changing, and the final result of the conflict will bring countless possibilities to the situation in Russia and Ukraine.
Second, it is undeniable that the peace talks that can effectively achieve a ceasefire today are still possible. In particular, in the case of "war clouds" in the Donbass region and the imminent outbreak of a major war, the Russian-Ukrainian negotiating delegation must seize the time to talk and avoid greater turmoil and suffering.
In short, war is a continuation of politics, but politics is also one of the best ways to end the war, and it is hoped that Russia and Ukraine can calm the war through diplomatic communication and negotiation as soon as possible.
Third, the United States may be disappointed again this time.
Whether it is veteran Bentley going to Ukraine to assist the Russian army in combat, or the Russian army began to "strategically shrink" and select the "last battlefield" in Donbass, it shows that the Russian side will not turn Ukraine into a second Afghanistan according to the wishes of the United States.
After all, every second more people will be killed or killed, and behind the conflict turmoil, the economies of Russia and Ukraine are not optimistic.
Therefore, on the issue of "ending the conflict as soon as possible", Russia and Ukraine have a tacit understanding. But what is worrying is that if Russia and Ukraine finally choose to end the conflict in the form of "military confrontation", the consequences will be even more difficult to accept.
Finally, it is still the same sentence, "Prosper, the people suffer; death, the people suffer." As soon as the war begins, suffering and catastrophe will come, and it is hoped that all parties can maintain reason and restraint, value peace, and realize a ceasefire and restore peace as soon as possible!