German Chancellor Merz: End of Pax Americana; Russia Claims Severk Capture

German Perspective on US Relations

• 💡 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the decades of Pax Americana are largely over for Europe and Germany, emphasizing that the US is now forcefully pursuing its own interests.
• 📌 Merz highlighted that Germany is no longer solely living in peace and cannot make contributions at the expense of its industry.
• ⚠️ He expressed unwillingness to prioritize environmental and climate protection to the extent that it would lead to the loss of Germany's industrial core.
• 🎯 Merz warned that damaging German democracy could occur by continuing current policies and vowed to fight against far-left and far-right influences like the "Alternative for Germany."

Ukraine Conflict: German Correspondent's View

• 💬 German war correspondent Thomas Roer delivered a "brutal message" to the West, stating there is not much left in Ukraine to stop Russia after the fall of Severk.
• 🧠 Roer questioned Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's reluctance to sign a US President Donald Trump-brokered peace deal, blaming European backers for sabotaging it.
• 🚨 He suggested Zelenskyy might face physical danger at home if he backs down from his current stance, noting that discussions on elections and land concessions could take months or years.
• 📉 Roer described the situation as "hopeless" for Ukraine's battlefield prospects, citing low personnel numbers in Ukrainian forces.

Russian Military Claims on Severk

• 🚀 The Russian Defense Ministry claimed on December 11th that Severk was cleared of enemy troops, showing videos of Russian soldiers providing aid to civilians.
• ✅ Residents purportedly greeted Russian servicemen and thanked them for "liberating" the city, receiving food, water, and medicine, with evacuation options offered.
• 🗺️ Taking Severk opens the way for Russian forces to advance on key cities like Kramatorsk and Sloviansk, which are major hubs for the Ukrainian military.
• 📈 Russian President Putin noted that with the steady liberation of settlements, the strategic initiative is entirely in the hands of the Russian armed forces.

Tactics for Severk Capture

• 🛠️ Russian commanders reported establishing that the enemy had created a deep layered defense in Severk, concentrated in industrial zones and residential neighborhoods.
• 🎯 To reduce personnel losses, the strategy involved blocking the city from three sides and cutting off logistical routes.
• ⚔️ Units performed a flanking maneuver around the city, followed by a systematic assault on districts, with fiercest resistance at the Dolomite plant, bread baking plant, and railway station.
• 💡 Russian units exploited a lack of coordination among Ukrainian forces, covertly positioning assault groups and destroying retreating enemy forces with drones and artillery.

Future Russian Objectives

• 🗺️ With Severk under full control, Russian combined forces and army units continue offensive operations toward Sloviansk.
• 👏 Commanders were congratulated for accomplishing their planned objectives, noting that the enemy failed to bog down Russian forces in Severk.
• 🤝 The success was attributed to the coordinated work of commanders at all levels, thorough planning, and the role of personnel and junior commanders.