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Last I read he explicitly said that this was not his goal. When did he say that?
by Grustaf 5y ago
Last I read he explicitly said that this was not his goal. When did he say that?
- microtherion 5y agoThis Thursday, apparently: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/ukraine-russia-evening-briefing-putin-tells-macron-he-wants-to-seize-whole-of-ukraine/ar-AAUzf3h https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/ukraine-russia-evening-... And if you don't trust secondhand reports of a phone call between him & Macron, there is also a public statement today to similar effect, though couched in "look what you might make me do" rhetoric: https://news.yahoo.com/putin-warns-ukraine-might-lose-160156168.html https://news.yahoo.com/putin-warns-ukraine-might-lose-160156...
- Grustaf 5y agoI mean sure he's planning to "seize all of Ukraine", but I don't think he wanted to make Ukraine a federal subject, at least originally. My theory was always that he wanted to capture Ukraine to force a very favourable (for him) peace agreement, install a loyal regime, keep Crimea, give independence to the Lugansk and Donetsk republics, with borders corresponding to the oblasts, and then leave. Possibly make the republics federal subjects of Russia. The statehood threat actually strengthens my belief, it sounds like he will only annihilate Ukraine unless they give up soon. If he was planning to do that anyway, the threat makes less sense. But of course I'm just guessing.