John Spencer: "The Battle of Kyiv is the most decisive battle of the modern era since the end of World War II"
"Russia in February in the full scale invasion wanted to take Ukraine, wanted to remove the Ukraine's government and its autonomy, wanted to recolonize it back into the Russian Federation. It is instead of stated the strategic goal. Ukraine's strategic goal was to survive as an independent democratic self-determined nation. So that one battle although all the battles mountain. So the battle of Chernihiv, the battle of Sumy, the battle of Mariupol, they all mattered but the decisive battle was the battle of Kyiv. So once Russia lost and withdrew, got defeated and surrendered on April 3rd, that was it. The war of Ukraine has been won, although the fighting is going to continue because all of Ukraine is Ukraine, but the fight for Ukraine as a democratic nation, as its own nation in its identity… Russia lost that"
What exactly do Ukrainians need to change in the defense of cities and what do civilians have to know in order to resist the enemy as effectively as possible in urban warfare?
In the new episode of the "(Un)Safe Country" podcast with its irreplaceable host Alina Frolova, we talk about military strategy, battles in cities and towns, and what Ukraine needs to change to better defend them, as well as the battle for Kyiv, the counteroffensive, Crimea, and nuclear weapons. We talk about all this with John Spencer, a professor, writer, combat veteran, and internationally recognized expert on urban warfare.
(un)Safe Country
(Un)Safe Country is a joint podcast of the Centre for Defence Strategies, Media Centre Ukraine and Ukrayinska Pravda. The host of the podcast, Alina Frolova, is a diplomat with a degree in geopolitics. She worked as a Deputy Minister of Defence. She coordinated cooperation with partners and NATO. She was involved in reforms in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
She was responsible for the security of the Black Sea and took an active part in the establishment of the Crimea Platform. She is currently one of the leaders of the Centre for Defence Strategies. In the podcast, she will invite interesting interlocutors, military and civilian, experts and volunteers, Ukrainian and foreign, with whom she will discuss security issues and how to bring victory in the war with Russia closer.
