It is understandable that the Ukrainian army reacted with suspicion to the Russian announcement that it would withdraw from Kherson. War involves cunning; on the eastern front, the Ukrainians themselves have recently duped the invaders with public announcements. Indeed, Kherson could become a trap for the Ukrainians if the Russians really want to engage them in urban warfare there.
The third setback
If Putin were to actually give up his conquest, it would be the third major setback for him after the defeats in front of Kyiv and in the Kharkiv region. Tactically it may make sense to retreat to the left bank of the Dnipro. The Russians need time and cover to replenish their own ranks through mobilization. That is why they are currently interested in a ceasefire.
But the loss of Cherson would not only make a push towards Odessa more difficult, it would also be a major political defeat. The fact that Putin has given up a provincial capital that has just been annexed and that was supposed to belong to Russia forever makes him a tsar without clothes.
A “special operation” that allegedly went according to plan has turned into a constant rearguard action, which Kremlin propaganda can only justify with concerns about its own soldiers. That’s not something to play strongman with at a G20 summit.
