Last week (August 15–21), russian elites continued their propaganda narratives claiming that the US and the "collective West" are purportedly guilty of russia starting a war against Ukraine. 

The russian Defense Ministry, led by sergei shoigu, tries to promote the statement that the US weapons (primarily "HIMARS") received by Ukraine from the United States are ineffective and easily destroyed by the russian army. 

Instead, Ukraine continues the effort to prevent a nuclear disaster at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, which can be provoked by russia through deliberate shelling of the plant. This became one of the key topics during the tripartite talks in Lviv, engaging the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.

Another topic of the meeting was the possibility of negotiations between the Ukrainian and russian presidents. However, during the briefing, Volodymyr Zelenskyi stressed that he did not yet see a "diplomatic window" for negotiations – it could open only after russia completely withdraws its troops from the occupied territories.

putin blamed the US for russia's attack on Ukraine

This week was not abundant in russian official statements. Many rf officials, such as the head of the russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sergei lavrov, did not make any public statements at all. 

While some are resting, the russian President, vladimir putin, and Defense Minister, sergei shoigu, entered the stage of commenting on the war in Ukraine. 

Probably, they held a session of "mental synchronization" or they might have gone to consult some shamans, again. In fact, both of them began to complain about the United States and the "collective West".

Thus, during the Moscow conference on international security, putin accused the United States and the "collective West" of wanting hegemony in the world, and Ukraine was labelled as the tool for this. According to putin, in order to destroy this hegemony, russia was compelled to attack Ukraine.

Strange rationale, if you look for it in the words of the russian president. In fact, russia wants revenge in the US for the USSR's defeat in the Cold War, but it has no power to challenge the United States and its NATO allies. Therefore, rf tries to ruin the lives of its neighbors, such as Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova, as they wish to bring them back under sphere of influence. Of course, through the use of force. They have no other arguments to use. 

On the other hand, russia understands that the "special operation" does not follow the plan, so they try to promote the public position that they are fighting the United States and NATO, which, obviously, is not as painful to lose as to Ukraine that russians planned to subdue in some 3 or 4 days.

Then putin continued his favorite storyline that the United States interfered in the internal affairs of other states, organized provocations, coups, and wars. He imposes his own rules. To put it simply, he does everything he can to keep the hegemony. 

This statement gets logical if you replace the word "USA" with "russia". putin may have forgotten it, but Georgia, for example, was invaded not by the US in 2008, or Crimea was annexed by the specific country, and part of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions in 2014 were occupied by somebody else. All this is the work of russia.

In addition, putin, who has been waging unprovoked full-scale armed aggression against Ukraine for six months now, accused the United States of "trying to protract the war." In the russian sense, it means to destroy Ukraine.

It would be fair if putin started calling things for what they are and accused the US that russia cannot defeat Ukraine. However, even with such rhetoric, it will be correct to use the phrase about a not very good carpenter who always blames his tools.

Of course, this carpenter is vladimir putin.

His comrade sergei shoigu is also haunted by US global leadership. At the meeting of the First International Anti-Fascist (just think of it!) Congress, the politician said that russia attacked Ukraine because it took the course to join NATO, which allegedly poses a threat to russia's security.

Let us note immediately that this reason is fictitious because the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, as the neighboring countries of russia, did not launch any "special operations" against them whatsoever. And the Alliance provided security guarantees to them during the accession process. Although russia referred to the expansion of NATO to the east of Europe as one of the reasons for the attack on Ukraine.

This confirms yet again the statement that russia is ready to fight only with those who it considers weaker to themselves. However, experience has proven that sometimes David can defeat Goliath. 

shoigu invented that he had defeated "HIMARS"

The HIMARS missiles and other weapons that Ukraine receives from the United States and other allies keep bothering shoigu. 

Speaking at a conference in Moscow, shoigu announced that the russian army had defeated and destroyed American superweapon HIMARS, and added that it had not affected the course of hostilities in any way. 

"Initially, it was about supplying Javelin anti-tank systems, and some 'unique' drones. Recently, the Westerners promote HIMARS multiple launch rocket systems and long-range howitzers to take the role of superweapon. However, this weaponry is also grinded in battles," shoigu said.

However, it is just wishful thinking. First, it is easy to offer lip service and destroy "HIMARS" in words but it does not reduce the "bavovna" strikes at the warehouses with ammunition, command posts, military bases, and airfields of the russian army established in the occupied territories. 

Simple OSINT reveals about 100 similar objects that the Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed in the past 2 months.

Interestingly, when "bavovna" strikes only started visiting the occupied territories, dmitry medvedev threatened Ukraine in his Telegram channel with an "immediate doomsday" if the Armed Forces dare to strike Crimea. And of all things! – on August 16, after a series of explosions in Crimea, in particular at the Saki airfield, the russian politician removed his post. He must have changed his mind. Probably, he does not want to be considered a person who does not mean what he says. Too late, dmitriy anatolievich, too late.

Secondly, last week, the Minister of Defense of Ukraine, Oleksii Reznikov, in an interview with the Voice of America, said that the Armed Forces had not lost any HIMARS launchers, and all russian statements about the destruction of these MLRS are patently false.

Thirdly, the day before, the US Department  of Defense refuted the occupiers' claims of the alleged destruction of six American HIMARS missile systems. Instead, Pentagon spokesman Todd Breasseale emphasized that the UAF employ the MLRS supplied by the US and the allies "with devastating accuracy and effectiveness".

Fourthly, what russia pretends to be evidence of the destruction of HIMARS is a staged sequence or blatant fakes that can easily be refuted by fact-checking. These messages are often questioned even by russian audiences. 

Therefore, while shoigu lives in the world of his fantasies, in the real world, Ukraine is gradually bringing its victory closer. 

There will be no negotiations until russia liberates the occupied territories.

On August, 18, Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, and President of the Republic of Turkey ,Recep Tayyip Erdogan, paid a working visit to Lviv, where they met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky. 

On the eve of the meeting, some analysts and media reported that, among other things, they would discuss the possibility of ending the Ukrainian-russian war through diplomatic means and direct negotiations between the Ukrainian and russian presidents. 

This information was later confirmed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who stressed the need for a diplomatic settlement of the conflict between Ukraine and russia. In his opinion, to achieve this, they need to resume the negotiations on the basis of the parameters built at the March meeting in Istanbul.

In addition, Erdogan, who is trying on the role of mediator in the organization of potential negotiations, said that in Lviv he proposed the President of Ukraine to hold a meeting with the President of russia in Turkey.

"With Mr. Zelensky we discussed all aspects of our bilateral relations. I once again stated that our solidarity and support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine will continue. Just as I told Mr. Putin during my visit to Sochi, I reminded to Zelensky that we could have a meeting between them,” Erdogan said.

In our opinion, Erdogan's visit once again confirms that putin wants negotiations. In other words, despite the public statements about the "special operation" that follows the plan, in reality, the kremlin understands that russia cannot win this war.

This is well understood in Ukraine, too. Following the meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky said that he does yet see a "diplomatic window" for negotiations with russia. 

According to the President, they are possible only after russia withdraws their troops from the territory of Ukraine. 

"For my part, I tol Mr President of Turkey that there you can’t believe the russian federation. I think there are russian guns in this window, and therefore I am very surprised that they are ready for some kind of peace. One who rapes, strikes cruise missiles at our cities every day, at civilian infrastructure, cannot want peace. So the first thing they should do, I think, is leave our territories, and then we’ll see, "the President said.

At the same time, Dmytro Kuleba, the Head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, commented on the results of the meeting. He stressed that at the meeting in Lviv, Ukraine was not inclined to concede to the rf. 

The fact that Ukraine is not ready to make concessions to russia was also confirmed by the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov, who tweeted that any territorial compromise with the Kremlin is a war postponed for the future, so Ukraine plans to reach its 1991 borders.

russia continues nuclear blackmail but in vain

russia keeps the tactics of nuclear blackmail ; they shell Zaporizhzhya NPP several times a day and traditionally accuse the Armed Forces. rf threatens to provoke a nuclear catastrophe to force Ukraine to abandon the plans of liberating the occupied territories

Nuclear blackmail was among the topics discussed during the meeting in Lviv. Upon the meeting, Volodymyr Zelensky called on russia to stop shelling the power station and withdraw their troops from there. The President of Ukraine also called unacceptable the actions of russia, which deliberately puts everyone on the verge of a radiation catastrophe on a world scale.

Instead, Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned against a recurrence of the Chernobyl disaster and emphasized that his country was on the side of Ukraine. Erdogan also said that he would discuss the issue of Zaporizhzhya NPP with putin. 

"We [...] will especially ask him [putin – ed.] that russia play their part in this regard as an important step for world peace," he said.

However, we do not know whether putin will listen to Erdogan. Perhaps this will be another act of "goodwill" (which the russians are good at) for the full return of all the occupied territories of Ukraine.

Specially for Ukrainska Pravda