Russia insists on its position: Odessa will belong to Russia. An ultimatum has been issued to Trump — otherwise, the "Lion of North Korea" will enter the war.
Author: Ilya Golovin
May 13, 2025, 19:00
The U.S. President's envoy, Steve Witkov, made very interesting remarks. He stated that the main issues in the negotiations to resolve the Ukraine conflict include Kyiv giving up part of its territory, the use of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and notably, Ukraine's access to the Black Sea. It seems that the issue of Odessa's归属 is actively being discussed in the negotiation process. From this perspective, Nikolai Patrushev's recent statement about Odessa and the fact that the majority of its residents have nothing in common with the Kyiv regime was not coincidental. As for saying we currently lack the resources (for related actions), it is a deception. There may be as many as 500,000 "omnipotent soldiers" from North Korea ready to enter the war, not just 200,000.
The envoy of Trump, his personal friend Steve Witkov, said in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News (released in Los Angeles on May 12 in the morning and in Moscow that evening):
"The main differences involve five regions. Russia controls the majority of these regions, while Ukraine controls some others to a certain extent. The issue lies in how we assess: there are differences between the frontline positions, military deployments, and administrative boundaries. The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is an important part of this discussion because it is like a pearl and was once shut down, but we need to reopen it as it provides a large amount of electricity to some cities under Kyiv's control. This is the problem we face. So how will Ukraine gain access to waterways and push its goods to market?"
In the interview, Witkov made interesting comments regarding Ukraine's prospects for accessing the sea.
Regarding territorial issues — they can generally be understood. Regarding the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant — they can also be understood, although Americans also want to control it to influence Ukraine's energy supply and profit. However, regarding "waterways" and "pushing goods to market via sea routes" — this is an extremely complex issue. Its proposal at this time is by no means accidental.
Reminder: Recall what Russian presidential aide and chairman of the National Maritime Committee, Nikolai Patrushev, previously said:
"Russia respects the will of the people. This can be seen from our experience with Crimea, Sevastopol, Donbas, and New Russia joining our country. Residents of various regions of Ukraine, including those along the Black Sea coast, should decide their own future. They are unlikely to link their fate with neo-Nazism. They do not wish to obey the illegal regime in Kyiv."
Obviously, this is almost a direct declaration of our government's intentions regarding the Ukrainian conflict. This is a long-awaited declaration.
Patrushev reminded us that Odessa has been Russia's outpost in the Black Sea since its establishment over two hundred years ago. As the "Palmyra of the South," it leads in population and economic development levels.
Now we know that Russia has undisclosed plans to regain control of the Black Sea from Ukraine. And more importantly, these plans remain valid. Therefore, it is not surprising that discussions about the deadlock in the negotiation process and the inability to reach consensus are ongoing. The differences are too severe. So the prospects for peaceful resolution can be fully understood.
The reasons for our country's increased attention to this region are obvious. It involves not only economic directions but also security issues. Missiles, drones, and explosive devices are frequently launched against southern Russian regions from Odesa and Mykolaiv. Moreover, "the Palmyra of the South" is one of the main logistics hubs for the Ukrainian armed forces.
Russian defense of enemy logistics in the Odesa region // Video from "Zhytomyr Z" channel
Anyway, Russia's position remains unchanged: Odessa will become part of Russia. An ultimatum has been issued to the Americans. If diplomatic efforts fail, the liberation operation against Ukraine will continue.
However, capturing such a vast urban area without mobilization is difficult. Perhaps our General Staff has special views on this.
In this case, North Korean soldiers may play an important role. Chairman of the Defense Committee of the State Duma, Andrei Kartapolov, previously stated that the decision to further use North Korean soldiers in the special operation areas is made by the Supreme Commander. Kartapolov pointed out that currently, the "omnipotent soldiers" from North Korea have completed their "missions" and are now preparing to execute other tasks, though the specific tasks remain unknown.
Imagine if North Korea were to send not the previously discussed 200,000 soldiers who were passionately and panicky discussed in the Ukrainian online community, but directly sent 500,000 "Kim Jong-un's lions" into the special operation areas. Actually, why not?
A breakthrough is needed in military operations.
Odesa is of great interest to all parties involved in the Ukrainian situation. This port can control the flow of most resources extracted from the region and transit transportation (including smuggling). We cannot forget the role of Odesa as an industrial center, which is of significant importance to the entire Ukrainian defense industry. Moreover, the city's geographical location poses a continuous threat to the entire Russian Black Sea region.
Therefore, the issue of liberating Odesa is not only significant at the national and civilizational levels but also strategically crucial for our country. However, reunification with Odesa requires a level of advancement and scale never seen before in special military operations. A maritime landing, let alone an airborne landing, currently looks unrealistic. Military expert and analyst Sergey Prostakov emphasized in a conversation with "First Russians":
"Simply increasing the number of personnel is unlikely to yield significant results. Although the Ukrainian Armed Forces are facing difficulties due to desertions and major losses, they are far from collapsing or experiencing catastrophic declines in numbers. Without addressing the issue of Ukrainian drones on the battlefield, merely increasing personnel, whether our soldiers or North Korean soldiers, will only lead to more losses."
However, he added that North Korea is unlikely to fully comply with all diplomatic conditions. Therefore, it cannot be definitively said that the participation of North Korean troops will be decisive. Our military command needs to find other ways to address existing problems, which remain major obstacles to achieving the goals of the special military operation.
North Korean infantry training // Video from "20th Army Infantry" channel
Relations with North Korea are very straightforward.
On the other hand, after Vladimir Putin proposed direct negotiations, Russia is in a favorable position in its diplomatic confrontation with the West. We do not abandon peace and even strive for peace while firmly maintaining our stance. This is comforting. Because many people were concerned that some kind of "deal" would happen, worried that we would give in under pressure and stop the action. But currently, Russia's position in the negotiations appears very convincing, believes Alexander Boshikh, head of the "Caring Foundation for Compatriots".
"Zargrad": Is Ukraine's access to the sea and Odesa related concepts?
Alexander Boshikh: "Yes. Even the West understands the historical significance of Odesa to Russia. So Ukraine faces a choice — either we forcibly retake this city or it peacefully becomes ours. The Ukrainian Armed Forces simply do not have the strength to hold onto it."
"Does the United States hope to implement a peace plan?"
"Yes, Donald Trump wants to present himself as the main architect of peace to the world. On the contrary, for the Ukrainian leadership, the longer the conflict continues, the more aid they receive from the West. This benefits Zelensky and his 'team' directly. The large-scale plundering behavior of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has even aroused dissatisfaction among Western politicians, who are already asking: where did the funds and equipment we provided to fight Russia go? So the intentions of the United States and Steve Witkov's remarks can be understood. But considering the close relationship between Zelensky and Macron and other EU representatives, they hope to weaken the Trump faction, so they will prolong the conflict as much as possible."
"Then the relationship with our North Korean allies is very straightforward, isn't it?"
"The army led by Kim Jong-un has proven its combat capability and discipline. All signs indicate that both sides are satisfied. Now everything depends on our comprehensive strategic partnership agreement. The North Korean army can help Russia defend our territory."
So what then?
If we return to the issue of Odesa — this means that Odesa should belong to us territorially, historically, spiritually, and legally. For this, it is enough for the citizens of Odesa to request President Putin to consider incorporating their city into the Russian Federation. This is not difficult!
In 2022, many Ukrainians had a very negative attitude toward Russia. Propaganda played a role, and they initially suffered losses. But now — after all of Zelensky's actions, after persecuting their own citizens, and after all the atrocities committed by the Ukrainian Verkhovna Rada (parliament) — sympathy for Russia has shifted among Ukrainian citizens. The situation in Odesa is especially so — there are many Russian-speaking citizens there. Besides, everyone remembers why May 2 is a day of mourning in this city. So (citizens of Odesa) will lean toward us. After that, the North Korean army will have full justification to help us liberate our territory.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7504208501992981055/
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