The Kremlin consistently reaffirms its commitment to its initial war demands, which include Ukraine's "neutrality," the removal of the legitimate Ukrainian government, the establishment of a pro-Russian government, and the abolition of the open-door policy to NATO for Kyiv. This is stated in a material from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), reported by UNN.
Details
Analysts refer to an interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to the Italian publication Corriere della Sera, the full transcript of which was allegedly published by the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lavrov stated that the war in Ukraine is "not a war for territory" or an attempt to return Ukraine to Russia's sphere of influence, but is intended to "reliably guarantee Russia's security" and "thwart the plans of NATO and the EU" to turn Ukraine into a "puppet state" hostile to Russia.
They assess that Lavrov reiterated Russia's demand that Ukraine must commit to "neutrality" and international agreements under which Russia recognized Ukraine's independence, implying that Ukraine has no sovereignty until it agrees to Russia's demands, "which would certainly deprive Ukraine of its sovereignty."
"Lavrov's interview... was likely intended to re-convey this message to a European audience as part of ongoing efforts to persuade the West to cease supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression," analysts conclude.
Recall
Recently, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the "demilitarization and denazification" of Ukraine are mandatory conditions for ending the war. The Center for Countering Disinformation at the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine called these words confirmation that Russia's goal is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood.