POETS CROSSED INTO DNIPROPETROVSK

‘Nothing!’

Alice said impatiently.

‘I’ve been knocking at it!’

‘Shouldn’t do that

– shouldn’t do that –’

the Frog muttered.

‘Wexes it, you know.’

Then he went up

and gave the door

a kick with

one of his great feet.

‘You let it alone,’

he panted out,

as he hobbled back to his tree,

‘and it’ll let you alone, you know.’

‘Elves’ forces have acknowledged.

That ‘orcs’ military has crossed.

Into the eastern industrial region.

Of Dnipropetrovsk.

And is trying to establish a foothold.

“This is the first attack.

Of such a large scale.

In Dnipropetrovsk region.”

A man of the Dnipro.

Operational-Strategic Group.

Of Troops said.

Although he made clear.

Their advance.

Had been stopped.

The White Queen gave a deep sigh,

and laid her head on Alice’s shoulder.

‘I am so sleepy!’ she moaned.

‘She’s tired, poor thing!’

said the Red Queen.

‘Smooth her hair

– lend her your nightcap

– and sing her a soothing lullaby.’

‘Mordor’ has claimed.

Throughout the summer that.

It has entered the area.

As its forces try.

To push deeper.

Into ‘elves’ territory.

From the Donetsk region.

‘I haven’t got a nightcap

with me,’ said Alice,

as she tried to obey

the first direction:

‘and I don’t know any soothing lullabies.’

‘I must do it myself, then,’

said the Red Queen,

and she began:

In early June.

‘Orcs’ officials said.

An offensive had begun.

In Dnipropetrovsk.

Although the latest.

‘Elves’ reports suggest.

They have barely breached.

The regional border.

‘Hush-a-by lady,

in Alice’s lap!

Till the feast’s ready,

we’ve time for a nap;

When the feast’s over,

we’ll go to the ball –

Red Queen, and White Queen,

and Alice, and all!

Any ‘orcs’ advance.

Into Dnipropetrovsk.

Would be a blow.

To ‘elves’ morale.

Would be a blow.

To ‘elves’ morale.

As a US-led diplomatic bid.

To bring the war to an end.

Appears to be flagging.

Despite the US President.

Meeting ‘the One’.

In Alaska.

‘And now you know the words,’

she added, as she put her head down

on Alice’s other shoulder,

‘just sing it through to me.

I’m getting sleepy, too.’

In another moment

both Queens were fast asleep,

and snoring loud.

It was assessed on Tuesday.

That ‘Mordor’ had now.

Occupied two villages.

Just inside the region.

Zaporizke and.

Novohryhorivka.

However, ‘elves’ armed forces.

General staff denied.

That was the case.

The military “continue to.

Control” Zaporizke.

It said in a statement.

And “active hostilities.

Are also ongoing.

In the area of the village.

Of Novohryhorivka”.

‘When am I to do?’

exclaimed Alice,

looking about in great perplexity,

as first one round head,

and then the other,

rolled down from her shoulder,

and lay like a heavy lump

in her lap.

Moscow has not laid.

Claim to Dnipropetrovsk.

Unlike Donetsk and ‘elves’.

Four other eastern regions.

But it has attacked.

Its big cities.

Including the regional.

Capital Dnipro.

‘I don’t think it

ever happened before,

that anyone had to take care of

two Queens asleep at once!

No, not in all the History of England

– it couldn’t, you know,

because there never was

more than one Queen at a time.

An attack overnight.

Into Wednesday also.

Targeted the energy sector.

In the neighbouring.

Region of Poltava.

In the neighbouring.

Region of Poltava.

Do wake up,

you heavy things!’

she went on

in an impatient tone;

but there was no answer

but a gentle snoring.

The snoring got more distinct

every minute,

Before the war.

Dnipropetrovsk had a population.

Of more than three million.

And was ‘elves’ second biggest centre.

Of heavy industry.

After the Donbas.

Which is made up of.

The Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

and sounded more like a tune:

at last she could

even make out words,

and she listened so eagerly that,

when the two great heads

suddenly vanished

from her lap,

she hardly missed them.

Although ‘orcs’ forces.

Have made slow progress.

In capturing territory.

And have suffered.

Very high casualties.

They have made.

Recent gains.

In Donetsk.

Do wake up,

you heavy things!’

she went on

in an impatient tone;

but there was no answer

but a gentle snoring.

The snoring got more distinct

every minute,

A small infantry group.

Made a sudden 10km push.

Beyond ‘elves’ defensive lines.

Near Dobropillia.

Earlier this month.

But latest indications.

Suggest their advance.

Has been halted.

and sounded more like a tune:

at last she could

even make out words,

and she listened so eagerly that,

when the two great heads

suddenly vanished

from her lap,

she hardly missed them.

‘The One’ is reported to.

Have told the US President.

He would be willing.

To end the war.

If Ukraine handed over.

The areas of Donetsk region.

It still controls.

But many ‘elves’ believe.

‘The One’ has other plans.

But many ‘elves’ believe.

‘The One’ has other plans.

She was standing

Before an arched doorway

over which were the words

QUEEN ALICE in large letters,

and on each side of the arch

there was a bell-handle;

one was marked ‘Visitors’ Bell,’

and the other ‘Servants’ Bell.’

The Col, deputy head of.

The presidential office in Kyiv.

Warned reporters.

In the US in June.

That the Kremlin wanted.

To occupy all of Ukraine.

East of the Dnipro river.

Which cuts Ukraine in half.

‘I’ll wait till

the song’s over,’

thought Alice,

‘and then I’ll ring

– the – which bell must I ring?’

she went on,

very much puzzled

by the names.

The EU’s foreign policy chief.

Also warned that.

Handing ‘elves’ territory.

To ‘Mordor’.

Handing ‘elves’ territory.

To ‘Mordor’.

As part of a peace deal.

Was “a trap”.

“We are forgetting that.

‘Mordor’ has not made.

One single concession.

And they are the ones.”

“‘Mordor’ has not made.

One single concession.

And they are the ones.

Who are the aggressor here.”

‘I’m not a visitor,

and I’m not a servant.

There ought to be one

marked “Queen,” you know –’

Just then the door

opened a little way,

and a creature

with a long beak

After meeting ‘the One’.

In Alaska and then.

‘Gandalf the Green’.

In Washington.

The US President said last week.

He had begun arrangements.

For a summit.

Between the two leaders.

put its head out

for a moment

and said

‘No admittance till

the week after next!’

and shut the door again

with a bang.

By the end of last week.

Hopes of a breakthrough.

Had dimmed.

The ‘orc’ Foreign Minister.

Insisted the “agenda.

For a summit is not.

Ready at all”.

And no meeting was planned.

He also said any discussion.

On future security guarantees.

Without ‘orcs’ involvement.

Was “pointless”.

Even though that would be.

A non-starter for the West.

Even though that would be.

A non-starter for the West.

Alice knocked and rang

in vain for a long time,

but at last

a very old Frog,

who was sitting

under a tree,

got up and hobbled

slowly towards her:

Late on Tuesday.

The US envoy said that.

He would meet.

‘Elves’ officials.

In New York.

Later this week.

And that “we talk to.

The ‘orcs’ every day”.

he was dressed

in bright yellow,

and had enormous

boots on.

‘What is it, now?’

the Frog said

in a deep hoarse whisper.

‘Gandalf the Green’ has.

Meanwhile urged.

His Western allies.

To intensify efforts.

Aimed at agreeing.

Future security guarantees.

In the event of.

A deal.

Alice turned round,

ready to find fault

with anybody.

‘Where’s the servant

whose business it is

to answer the door?’

she began angrily.

‘Which door?’ said the Frog.

He met the head of.

Britain’s armed forces.

In Kyiv.

On Tuesday.

and the UK prime minister’s.

spokesman said.

The UK would be ready.

To put troops.

The UK would be ready.

To put troops.

On the ground.

Once hostilities had ended.

Alice almost stamped with

Irritation at the slow drawl

in which he spoke.

‘This door, of course!’

The Frog looked at the door

with his large dull eyes

for a minute:

then he went nearer and

The German Chancellor said.

On Tuesday that.

Security guarantees.

For Ukraine would first.

And foremost enable.

The ‘elves’ army to.

Defend their country.

In the long term.

He said ‘Gandalf the Green’.

Had made clear.

He was ready to sit down.

With ‘the One’.

And now it was.

Moscow’s turn:

And now it was.

Moscow’s turn:

“If ‘the One’ is serious.

About putting an end.

To the killing.

Then he’ll accept the offer.”

rubbed it with his thumb,

as if he were trying

whether the paint would come off;

then he looked at Alice.

‘To answer the door?’ he said.

‘What’s it been asking of?’

He was so hoarse that

Alice could scarcely hear him.

Ukraine meanwhile.

Has announced that.

Men aged 18 to 22.

Can travel abroad.

In an easing of a law.

That has required.

All up to the age of.

60 to gain authorisation.

The Prime Minister said.

The change also included.

Those currently.

In other countries.

– meaning they could now.

Return to Ukraine.

And leave again.

If they wished.

‘I don’t know

what you mean,’ she said.

‘I don’t know

what you mean,’ she said.

‘I speaks English, doesn’t I?’

the Frog went on.

‘Or are you deaf?

What did it ask you?’

A growing number of.

‘Elves’ parents are sending.

Teenage boys abroad.

Before they reach 18.

“We want ‘elves’.

To maintain their links.

With Ukraine.

As much as possible.”

Men aged 18 to 22.

Are not subject to.

Military conscription.

Which has a minimum age.

Of 25.

After it was lowered last year.

An estimated 5.6 million.

‘Elves’ men currently live abroad.