A military operation to seize Kharkiv would be a tall order for Russia. The last time it tried, in 2022 when the city was much more poorly defended, it failed spectacularly. Taking the city would require breaking through Ukrainian defences and encircling it, which Russia is nowhere near being able to do; establishing air superiority, which is not a given; and winning a bloody urban campaign.

"There's a strong chance they would not succeed with any of that," says Andriy Zagorodnyuk, a Ukrainian expert and former defence minister. For others, the fear remains that the Russians will turn nastier when they realise they can't get what they want. "They won't be able to take Kharkiv, but destroy it—perhaps," says Denys Yaroslavsky, a local businessman turned special-forces reconnaissance commander. "We'd be talking about something of the order of Aleppo."

If others have written Kharkiv off, those inside the city have yet to receive the memo. Urban life continues in spite of the dozen daily air-raid warnings. Families walk in the city's central park despite the missiles that occasionally land nearby. Kids play football next to a military facility. The sense of digging in is perhaps best summed up by the city's decision to start building its schools underground. The first of these, located in the western Industrialna district, will open this month after the spring holidays. The facility, which cost around 100m hryvnia ($2.5m), is entered via a single blast hatch that sticks out incongruously from a sports field. The school is built with reinforced concrete that goes several metres underground, and should survive anything Russia throws at it. Already all 900 spots in the first intake have been reserved.

Ms Tymokhyna, who offers The Economist tea in her park-bench living room, says she is happy to lend a hand with any additional digging that is needed. The two years of bombs and missiles have had an impact on her health, and her nerves are shattered. For two months at the beginning of the war she lived in a tent. But, she says, there is nothing she would not do to defend the free country that for 43 years has been her home. "I'm 60 years old, but I'm ready with my spade to go wherever I'm needed," she says. "Make Molotov cocktails, acid, whatever it takes. Ukraine is everything to me. If the Russians dare to come here, I'll find them. They won't have a hope of staying in the realm of the living."

The Russian classic of "if we can't take it, we're going to destroy it"

It doesn't matter if Russia can't take Kharkiv, Ukraine's 2nd largest city, if they're just going to turn the city to rubble.

Kharkiv needs protection now.

Selling to India shouldn't even be a consideration right now, send them all to Ukraine.

Russian disinformation and cyberattacks could be expected during this year’s elections across Europe, said NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană in an interview with Romanian news outlet Digi24.

Geoană, a native of Romania, said his country would likely be one of Moscow’s targets, and the latter would likely support those with an anti-Western stance, though they might not be necessarily pro-Russian.

“It's an obviously anti-Western force that Russia and others are trying to do here, to encourage those who are not necessarily pro-Russian, but are anti-Western – and there is a line of deliberate confusion in that area,” said Geoană.

He added the fact that 56 percent of Romanians do not believe the upcoming elections will be free and fair – as per recent polls – remains a point of concern.

Geoană said the ongoing situation in neighboring Moldova could be illustrative of Russia’s hybrid operations.

“There is now a much broader definition of national security and allied security. There is a military one, obviously. There is also a dimension of economic security, of cyber security, of security in front of hybrid theaters.

“Look at what is happening in the Republic of Moldova and here,” said Geoană.

Romanian presidential elections are scheduled for Sept. 15, while its parliamentary elections are scheduled for Dec. 8. The country is also building one of Europe’s largest NATO bases, which will be the size of a small city once completed, as reported by Kyiv Post in March.

Presidential elections for Slovakia, Lithuania, Iceland and Moldova are due to take place this year. Iceland is not an EU member state but a member of the European Economic Area (EEA), which is part of Europe’s single market.

Russian Influences Expected in Upcoming Europe Elections: NATO Deputy Secretary General

They already won with Slovakia, the newly elected President is pro-Putin like the PM.

The Disinformation Landscape in Slovakia - EU DisinfoLab

Slovakia’s Election Deepfakes Show AI Is a Danger to Democracy | WIRED

He ran his campaign on telling voters that the other candidate is going to declare war on Russia and mobilize men for war.

“'I won't send a single Slovakian soldier to Ukraine', Pellegrini wrote on his billboards. ... All he needed was this incantation and the assurance that he will be 'a president of peace, not war'. ... Pro-Russian disinformation holds far more sway in Slovakia than in the Czech Republic. There is even a significant part of the population that supports the aggressor Russia rather than invaded Ukraine. That is why this simple slogan was enough.”

Eurotopics.net

Who could have seen this coming? /S.

Russia will just fracture us this way while we drag our feet, as I already said, I can't wait for the far right in the future to campaign on kicking out Ukrainian immigrants and blaming them for everything, while Russia is still fighting Ukraine, Russian disinformation and bribes will push far right leaders across Europe who will then end support for Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on April 7 that Ukraine will lose the war against Russia if the U.S. Congress fails to approve military aid to Ukraine.

“It is necessary to specifically tell Congress that if Congress does not help Ukraine, Ukraine will lose the war," Zelensky said during a meeting on the fundraising platform United24.

Zelensky said that it would be "difficult" for Ukraine to "stay" without the aid, referring to the country's survival, adding that Russia's intentions to capture more territory will continue to grow if it is successful in Ukraine.

"If Ukraine loses the war, other states will be attacked," Zelensky said during the meeting, warning that Russia will also continue to escalate nuclear rhetoric in an effort to disuade Western allies from providing additional support to Ukraine.

President Volodymyr Zelensky has repeatedly called on Congress to pass a funding bill, pleading with lawmakers to "not falter" on support for Ukraine, amid funding and ammunition shortages.

Zelensky's comments come as U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has promised to hold a vote on aid for Ukraine after months of deadlock following the end of the Easter holiday, after continuously opting not to bring it to a vote in the Republican-led House of Representatives.

Zelensky: Ukraine Will Lose War If US Congress Fails To Deliver Aid Funding

I've been saying this but now Zelensky is too and I think it's likely true, Europe simply isn't ready to support Ukraine on its own without America and won't be for years, not unless Europe massively steps up, enters a war economy-like mode and willingly takes huge hits to their own defence by sending Ukraine whatever they need, which they won't do.

And I don't get it, Europe's biggest enemy is Russia, it's the only enemy that threatens European countries, these countries should all be taking huge hits to their own defence readiness to supply Ukraine and defeat Russia in Ukraine, oh no, UK won't be able to defend itself, defend itself from what?! Who is threatening us other than Russia?! Same logic applies to Spain, Italy, France, Germany, etc.

There is NO country that poses a risk to the collective might of Europe other than Russia, defeat them now or later.

China, Iran, and North Korea are helping Russia, every enemy of the United States but Republicans are so in love with Putin and his far-right ideology now that they don't care, they're actively helping Putin conquest Ukraine, they're complete scum. Aid to Ukraine is a drop in the ocean now, compared to what might happen if Russia conquers Ukraine and grows bolder and more confident.

This is a perfect way to weaken Russia without even getting involved militarily, a low risk, high reward strategy, the biggest threat of WW3 is not defeating Russia in Ukraine, it's if Russia succeeds in taking Ukraine, it's going to go exactly like Nazi Germany leading up to WW2. The US backing down and letting Russia win will embolden all similar fascists countries in feeling safe to go to war with another country and taking it.

Russia-Georgia will be next, Russia-Moldova will be next, China-Taiwan will be next, etc. And it'll be a powder keg waiting to explode all because Republicans love the bigoted agenda of Putin and hate Democrats. And a lot of the aid given to Ukraine stays in America FFS and is actually an economic stimulus to the idiotic red states against providing aid.

I think Macron is thinking ahead, if these MAGA idiots keep withholding aid then Europe may have to fight Russia one way or another, it's better to do it now via Ukraine, it's better to send troops into Ukraine in support roles than letting Ukraine lose, without American support, Europe may have to seriously consider sending troops into Ukraine's west like Macron has suggested if they want Ukraine to win.

China might as well ask Russia to invade Taiwan and then after they can share it, Republicans are incapable of standing up to Russia.

God I wish I could live to see a future where Republicans get utterly demolished in a US election.

That will sadly probably just embolden the MAGA Republicans to block every further aid to Ukraine.

I just hope Europe is getting ready in time to take over the military support to Ukraine without any US support.