War in Ukraine – Donbass offensive, delivery of weapons, Finnland, Sweden and NATO & Hungary, Serbia and Russia

At the beginning of our new episode on the war in Ukraine Professor Mangott takes a closer look at the Donbass offensive announced by Russia. Russia needs to make major territorial gains to actually control the Donbass and to maintain the narrative that ethnic Russians in this region can be protected from genocide. Mangott believes the May 9th target date for this offensive is overstated.

Western arms supplies are essential to the Ukrainian side’s defensive struggle. The question of whether Ukraine can win the war thanks to these arms deliveries or whether they will only prolong the war is still disputed among military experts.

Mangott adds that one must be aware that one hardly gets access to neutral information in Russia, even if some Telegram channels still offer the possibility to see propaganda-free images from Ukraine. Mangott holds that in war one must always be aware that both sides work with propaganda, and therefore one must be critical of all information.

The reasons for his criticism of the Austrian chancellor’s visit to Moscow, for which he reaped a shitstorm, Mangott lays out in detail.

Ukraine’s possible accession to the EU sooner than expected, Finland’s and Sweden’s aspirations to NATO membership, the situation in Hungary and Serbia after the recent elections and their relationship with Moscow, and the question of whether an end to the war in the near future is realistic are further topics of this interview.

Credits

Image	Title	Author	License
	War in Ukraine – Donnbass offensive-YOUTUBE	Wolfgang Müller	CC BY SA 4.0