Don’t swallow the lie that I wanted all of Ukraine and am only limiting my goals since the enemy’s proving tougher and more skillful than expected and our troops are fighting with less skill and élan than I demanded and international sanctions continue to bleed our economy and force us to default on foreign debt obligations and quite a few ignorant people are calling me a savage. Talk doesn’t matter.

Here are the essentials facts. Russia is winning this special operation, a preemptive action against imminent aggressors, by daily striking the enemy with bombs, missiles, and artillery, and Ukrainians know we’re just several miles from the center of Kyiv and can demolish the city and many others already severely damaged and will continue this approach until I achieve my objectives, which are straightforward and familiar to everyone. Don’t ever again consider putting NATO’s foul breath on my border and stop pretending Crimea isn’t permanently Russian and accept that the disputed Donbas and a bit more of eastern Ukraine are and shall remain part of western Russia. I also insist that Ukraine demilitarize so it no longer threatens us.

Pompous retired US generals can gloat on TV about our military imperfections but we’re going to win this war and I must remind you the Americans haven’t won one since World War II.

This is a series of stories about the Russo-Ukrainian War