Ukraine’s former defence minister has warned his western counterparts that negotiations with Moscow will not bring peace, and that Vladimir Putin remains determined to destroy Ukraine entirely and to “assimilate” its citizens into the Russian Federation.
In an article for the Guardian, Oleksii Reznikov says any “deal” with the Kremlin would not end the conflict. “Russia demands the recognition of the occupied territories of Ukraine as its territory in exchange for the end of the war,” he writes.
“However, this is obviously for the sake of one thing only – to buy some time, regroup and ‘finally solve the Ukrainian issue’ using new resources. Russia does not recognise the existence of Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
“Its goal is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood and assimilation of Ukrainians.” » | Luke Harding | Friday, September 8, 2023
I was Ukraine’s defence minister. Here’s my message for our allies: we must not lose sight of victory: To my defence ministers friends around the world, I say: thank you for the military support, but heed this advice »
