Former Russian general remains in prison on court orders
At a hearing in a Russian military court on Tuesday, former General Ivan Popov of Russia’s 58th Army was denied release, according to a Reuters reporter present at the court.
Once revered among Russian troops under the code name ‘Spartacus,’ General Popov was arrested by Russia’s Investigative Committee on suspicion of fraud. Many military activists have repeatedly refuted the Kremlin’s claims, asserting that it was a conspiracy by Putin to silence those brave enough to speak against him.
Reports indicate that Popov was directly responsible for the theft of metal products worth over 130 million roubles ($1.44 million), intended to reinforce Russia’s frontline fortifications across Ukraine.
The Investigative Committee on Tuesday had requested the court to release Popov from custody and place him under house arrest, but the court refused. A video published by the Russian news agency, SHOT, showed Popov smiling after hearing the court’s refusal to release him from prison and place him under house arrest.
Popov made headlines back in June 2023 when he was dismissed by Moscow’s top brass after reporting Russia’s deteriorating situation in its war against Ukraine at the height of the Moscow-Wagner rebellion.
Despite claims and evidence of fraud, the majority of pro-Russian military bloggers consider the former general to be another victim of speaking the truth against Putin’s propaganda.
Russia is considering a truce over the current frontlines with Ukraine
Despite the unpredictable course of Russia’s ‘special military campaign‘ into Ukraine, Putin’s army has made considerable progress in recent days. However, aid and weapon shipments from Ukraine’s biggest ally, the United States of America (USA), have become scarce due to Israel’s war in Gaza in the Middle East.
In comparison, the Gaza war has recently captured the world’s spotlight, diverting attention from Europe’s first major conflict since the Second World War.
Despite launching a third offensive in recent weeks on the Kharkiv front in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated his openness to truce negotiations with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. However, he conditions the truce on Zelensky’s agreement to surrender the territory lost to Russia during the conflict.
Despite previous failed peace talks scheduled in Istanbul last year, amidst worsening global conflicts, Russia now appears willing to end the conflict. This includes gaining full or partial control of Ukrainian territories and establishing a proxy leader in Ukraine to prevent the country from leaning towards the European Union (EU) or NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).
Global leaders speculate that a truce with Russia is unlikely
Ukraine and its international allies have scheduled a peace summit in Switzerland for June, during which the countries will determine the type of truce deal with Russia that would be acceptable to President Zelensky.
Russia, however, has not been invited to the peace talks due to its current role as an aggressor in the Ukraine war. The majority of geopolitical experts and world leaders speculate that Russia’s “truce talk” may be a clever bid by President Putin to keep Ukrainians on their toes ahead of another assault from a different front. This tactic mirrors the invasion of Donetsk, where Russia amassed troops on another front before mounting a surprise attack on the town, catching Ukrainian defenders off guard.
Why are Russian “sources” suddenly telling the media that Putin is willing to halt the war at the current battle lines? It’s simple.
Putin is desperately trying to derail the Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 15–16. He is scared of its success. His entourage sends these phony…
— Dmytro Kuleba (@DmytroKuleba) May 24, 2024
In a statement on Friday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, asserted, “Putin currently has no desire to end his aggression against Ukraine; this is why he is so afraid of the Switzerland summit.”
Russia’s repeated surprise attacks on Ukrainian territories, despite talk of peace, have hardened Kyiv’s stance against false promises of peace from the Kremlin.
