Russian president Vladimir Putin insisted that his country will not stop fighting in Ukraine until it achieves its goals, dispelling any optimism for a peaceful end to the war in the immediate future.
Russia Is Confident in Victory
During a speech to a gathering of senior defence ministry officials on Wednesday, Putin was adamant that his country would fight on until it achieves all of its objectives.
The Russian leader said that he will not turn away from his mission to “liberate its historic lands.”
Putin has long argued that Ukraine, once part of the Soviet Union, shares a common ethnic culture with Russia, and it should be part of it. During the lead-up to the large-scale invasion on February 24, 2022, Putin even penned an essay on the shared connection between the two countries.
Putin went on to disparage Ukraine’s European allies.
“Everyone thought they would quickly destroy Russia. The European swine immediately joined in … hoping to make a killing,” he said, referring derogatively to Ukraine’s European partners that have provided important security and financial aid to Kyiv.
It is notable that Putin did not characterize the United States the same way. After all, the United States has been the single most important partner of Ukraine. It’s possible that his decision was aimed at widening rifts between the United States and the rest of NATO.
Putin’s derogatory characterization of Ukraine’s European partners comes after French president Emmanuel Macron called the Russian leader an “ogre” a few months ago.
What is most worrisome about Putin’s remarks is that it seems like the Kremlin is confident about the prospect of its military forces on the ground.
If Putin and his advisers believe that they can win on the battlefield, then Russia will continue to fight unless offered something it could not turn down. Much will depend on what the Kremlin’s victory goals are.
The objectives have shifted several times during the nearly four-year conflict. Russia has sought the complete occupation of Ukraine and the replacement of the Ukrainian government with a puppet state, the creation of a land bridge between Russia and occupied Crimea, and the occupation and eventual annexation of four Ukrainian provinces (Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia).
“The goals of the special military operation will be achieved unconditionally,” the Russian leader said about the Russian military’s operation in Ukraine.
“If the adversary and its foreign patrons don’t want to have a substantive discussion, then Russia will liberate its historic lands on the battlefield,” Putin added.
The Russian president failed to mention that Ukraine and its partners are engaged in substantive discussions to end the war. For several weeks now, Ukraine, the United States, NATO, and the European Union have been holding intensive diplomatic talks about the best possible peace settlement proposal. The United States opened the discussion with a 28-point peace proposal. Following conversations with Ukraine and Europe, a new 20-point peace plan emerged.
The Kremlin, however, has shot down the latest proposal, insisting on large territorial concessions from Ukraine, as well as other, unspecified demands with regard to its neighbor’s sovereignty.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
Image: Shutterstock.com / Oleg Elkov
