Lourival Sant’Anna: Military conflict between NATO and Russia is getting closer

Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday (24). The international analyst CNN Lourival Sant’Anna assesses that “we are getting closer every day to a military conflict between the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and Russia, but we have not yet reached that point”.

NATO needs to defend the member countries that border Russia – the Baltic countries are the biggest concern at the moment because of the high concentration of Russian soldiers on the border with Belarus.

THE CNN managed to confirm that at least 16 regions are under attack in Ukraine, including the capital Kiev. “But probably more cities are under attack [russo]”, according to Sant’Anna.

For several weeks, the ports of the Ukrainian cities of Mariupol and Odessa have been practically blocked by the presence of dozens of Russian warships and submarines at sea. Around 80% of Ukrainian trade passes through them, which is now at a standstill.

“A clear objective of this operation is to take over the entire southern coast of Ukraine, preventing the country from having access to the sea,” said the analyst at CNN. However, the sighting of trucks with Russian troops leaving Belarus towards the border with Ukraine makes it clear that the objective is greater. According to Sant’Anna, “Russia intends to take Kiev and the main cities in the country”.

Understand the Russian attack

After weeks of tension, Russia attacked Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday morning. A military operation in the breakaway regions of eastern Ukraine, explosions and sirens were heard in several cities across the country.

Ukrainian officials said at least 50 people had died and six Russian planes had been destroyed. On Thursday morning, long lines formed on Kiev’s main avenues as residents tried to leave the area. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the population to defend the country and said that “citizens can use weapons to defend territory”.

In his speech before the attack, Putin justified the action by saying that Russia could not “tolerate threats from Ukraine”. Putin urged Ukrainian soldiers to “put down your weapons and go home”. The Russian leader further stated that he will not accept any kind of foreign interference.