Pentagon chief downplays beleaguered Donbass city

(RT) ⸻ The battle for Artyomovsk, a major stronghold and logistics hub for Kiev's forces in the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), has been described as the fiercest in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has suggested that the city is of more symbolic than operational importance, while acknowledging the possibility of a defeat for Ukraine. German tabloid Bild reported on Monday that the city had become a source of internal conflict between Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky and the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces General Valery Zaluzhny. The US government has been urging Kiev to pull out of the city since late January and to prepare instead for future counter-offensives in other areas. Zelensky has insisted the city will fight for as long as possible.