Putin's "Day of Reunification" is doomed to be short lived.

In 1938,

"The military occupation of Czechoslovakia by Nazi Germany began with the German annexation of the Sudetenland in 1938, continued with the creation of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and by the end of 1944 extended to all parts of Czechoslovakia." (Wikipedia)

Hitler Archive on YouTube and  Microsoft Start (CNN) : 30 September 2023

Fast forward to 2022 and, as reported by Aljazeera,

"Russian President Vladimir Putin has proclaimed the annexation of four partially occupied Ukrainian regions at a signing ceremony in the Kremlin.
...
At the ceremony on Friday, Putin said Russia has “four new regions”, calling the residents of Ukraine’s occupied Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhia regions “our citizens forever”." (Aljazeera : 30 September 2022) (my emphasis)

 Recently,  Ryan Fahey (left) reported that,

"While promising that "nothing and no-one" will stop him, he addressed the Russian people to mark his newly declared Day of Reunification and remember the day last year when he illegally incorporated the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics into Russia. Parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions were also seized in a move he today hailed as “a defining and truly historic event”. All are legally part of a Ukraine's sovereign territory under international law." (Mirror : 30 September 2023) (my emphasis)

Mirror : Ryan Fahey : 30 September 2023

Putin's warmongering mood against Ukraine in his recent TV address has now been given  unexpected and direct political support by,

 "The populist party of former Prime Minister Robert Fico (left) that wants to stop military aid to Ukraine and is critical of the European Union and NATO has won Slovakia’s election, results showed on Sunday.
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The 59-year-old Fico has promised that Slovakia, one of Europe’s biggest donors to Ukraine as a share of its gross domestic product (GDP), will not send “a single round of ammunition” to Ukraine and has called for better relations with Russia." (Aljazeera : 1 October 2023) (my emphasis)

As also reported by Tim McNulty (right),

"Slovakia's election has sent shockwaves through the Western alliance as the victory of pro-Russian former Prime Minister Robert Fico's populist SMER party threatens the crack Europe's united front in support of Ukraine.
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Moscow is likely looking at the results with glee though despite the results of the election whether SMER can cobble together the coalition to enter government is yet to be confirmed." (Express : 2 October 2023) (my emphasis)

Furthermore, as reported by Jeff Mason,

"U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday pressed congressional Republicans to back a bill to provide more aid to Ukraine, saying he was “sick and tired” of the political brinkmanship that nearly led to a government shutdown."

Reuters :1 October 2023

" .... The bill, which lasts through Nov. 17, did not include aid for Kyiv.
...
“We cannot under any circumstances allow America’s support for Ukraine to be interrupted. I fully expect the speaker to keep his commitment to secure the passage and support needed to help Ukraine as they defend themselves against aggression and brutality,” he told reporters at the White House." (Reuters :1 October 2023) (my emphasis) 

Fred Pleitgen : CNN report : 2 October 2023

Putin's gleeful euphoria over the election of Slovakia’s Robert Fico, and the US delay in aid for Ukraine, thanks to the Republican Party in Congress, will be rather short-lived.

As reported by Aurora Bosotti (left),

"Russia's gas production has suffered yet another collapse this year, reaching numbers not seen since before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Gazprom announced.
...
The drop comes as European nations continue on their path to find alternatives to Russian supplies following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and amid a swathe of sanctions seeking to cripple Moscow's finances.
...
Russian-language news outlet Agentstvo said the state energy company "has never had such a low production rate in its entire history", noting that "the last time there was a similar figure was in the Soviet Union in 1978." "(Express : 30 September 2023) (my emphasis)

Amplifying the panic at Gazprom, Aurora Bosotti further reports that

"Concerns about gas appear to be at the forefront of the Kremlin's mind, as a key ally of Putin earlier in the week appeared to suggest Moscow is prepared to target refineries in The Netherlands to cut off European supplies.

Appearing on state TV, Russian Parliament member Andrey Gurulyov said he was "surprised" to learn that "almost 50 percent of oil refining is in the Netherlands," and that the distribution of the refineries is "very dense and very close to each other. Very dense."

His assessment prompted propagandist Vladimir Solovyov to point out that the Netherlands would be "a perfect target for a cluster munition." (ibid Aurora Bosotti)

Like Putin's glove puppet Dmitry Medvedev, Andrey Gurulyov and Vladimir Solovyov are also reduced to threatening 'armageddon' against the UK, NATO, the EU, and the US. 

However, soon to be headed for Ukraine, as reported by Norman Hermant (right),

"A replica cannon mounted on the back of a pick-up truck tracks its target, part of a weapons system that launches "hard kill" strikes to blow drones out of the sky.

It is called Slinger and it is designed to counter drones at a cost that countries like Ukraine can afford." (ABC News Australia : 2 October 2023) (my emphasis)

ABC News Australia : 2 October 2023

 And as CNN's Radina Gigova (left) reports,

"Ukraine is ready to offer special conditions to companies that are willing to develop weapons production jointly with Kyiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Saturday.

He made the comments as he met with representatives from defense companies from countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Turkey, Sweden and the Czech Republic." (CNN : 2 October 2023) (my emphasis)

Like a drowning man clutching at straws, Putin declaration that his occupation of parts of Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions signifies a "Day of Reunification" is a rather hollow celebration.

Notwithstanding that he now has Robert Fico of Slovakia to add to Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán as his stalwart supporters in the EU, the fact remains that the inexorable march of Zelensky's army towards to Sea of Azov continues apace.

Putin's "Day of Reunification", it seems, is doomed to be short-lived.

 

 

 

(to be continued)