WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Top US general: Removing Russia from Ukraine a ‘very high bar’ Army Gen. Mark Milley said a quick outcome to the war in Ukraine is unlikely, noting that a Ukrainian victory in the conflict is a “very high bar” and would take a “very long time.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has resisted negotiating a peace with Russia since the country’s invasion began more than a year and a half ago, citing unserious terms from Moscow. He said the best outcome would be to remove Russia from all Ukrainian territory. Milley, who is the chairman of the Joint Chiefs…

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE Ukraine could have avoided conflict – Trump Ukraine could have avoided hundreds of thousands of deaths and lost less land if it had reached a peace deal with Russia before the conflict began last February, former US President Donald Trump told NBC News in an interview aired on Sunday. The loss of Ukrainian territory to Russia is “something that could have been negotiated,” Trump told NBC host Kristen Welker, adding that “a lot of people expected” Kiev to abandon its claims to “Crimea and other parts of the country” in exchange for peace. “So they could have made…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Russia, Ukraine dispute control over devastated village of Andriivka Russia and Ukraine on Saturday disputed control of the devastated village of Andriivka near Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine, as Ukraine ramped up its efforts to inch closer to reassert control over the pivotal city. Russia's Defence Minister dismissed a Ukrainian claim to have recaptured Andriivka, which Kyiv has portrayed as a stepping stone to the larger city. The commander of Ukraine's land forces posted a video purporting to show the capture of Andriivka amid a landscape of scorched territory and desolation. And a military spokesperson said Ukrainian troops were…

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE Zelenskiy to visit US Congress next week, reports say Volodymyr Zelenskiy will visit the U.S. Congress next week, according to media reports, after a U.S. official earlier said the Ukrainian president was expected to meet with U.S. President Biden on Thursday. Punchbowl News on Friday said Zelenskiy's visit with Congress was tentatively scheduled for Thursday. The Washington Post also reported Zelenskiy was set to travel to the U.S. Congress on Thursday, while the Wall Street Journal said he would meet with U.S. lawmakers. Representatives for Zelenskiy and congressional leaders could not be immediately reached for comment on the…