Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that the declared objective of demilitarizing Ukraine is to “partially destroy the forces” of the neighboring country, notably its air power.
Something surprising, the admission of the head of state, which confirms what has been seen on the ground since he started the invasion on the 24th of last month, went further. “It takes a certain amount of time,” he said.
“I heard many people say that the operation was in trouble. That’s not true,” he said during a choreographed meeting with employees of state-owned airline Aeroflot in Moscow. This is the second time he has spoken on the subject: he had said in a televised address that the invasion was proceeding “according to plan”.
Whether you’re issuing a receipt or telling the truth, no one will know. Reports of difficulties in advancing Russian forces, due to tactical errors such as the initial dispersion of forces, in addition to logistical issues with supply lines, are mounting among Western analysts — their Russian counterparts are now in a moratorium on comments, given the censorship imposed in the country, which can take anyone who says something considered improper to jail.
In any case, the idea of ​​a crippling of the Ukrainian military force fits into several scenarios of the Kremlin’s goal of action. From the most benign, an attempt to force an agreement that removes Russian-speaking areas from Kiev’s control and obtains a formal guarantee of non-adherence of the rival to NATO (Western military alliance), to the explosive occupation of the entire country.
He also reiterated that Western sanctions against his country are tantamount to a military escalation. “The sanctions being imposed are similar to a declaration of war, but thank God we don’t come to that,” he said, adding that they are “a threat to everyone.”
He repeated the argument that he put his nuclear forces on alert last Sunday (27) because politicians from NATO countries, such as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, had made bellicose statements against Russia.
He stated that the Russian government is prepared to deal with the sanctions, and suggested that it will find a solution for Aeroflot to continue flying – as, it is not known, since Boeing and Airbus announced that they will no longer serve the company, which has 177 its 187 planes from western manufacturers.
At the meeting, Putin reaffirmed his arguments to justify the invasion. In short, he said that Ukraine would become a threat to Russia if it joined NATO and allowed the introduction of nuclear weapons, “with the help of the Americans”, its own or other powers.
And that the Russian-speaking populations of the Donbass (east of the country), autonomous since 2014, would continue to be under attack due to the neo-Nazi character of elements of the Kiev government. Both accusations distortedly amplify two realities.
First, that Ukraine’s entry into the alliance would place rival, but not necessarily nuclear, forces, let alone a Ukrainian bomb, at its doorstep.
Second, that there are neo-Nazi-inspired groups in the neighbourhood, which is different from saying that this is what the government is. Interestingly, after saying that there were “drugs and neo-Nazis” in power in Kiev, Putin became particular about his criticism. “There are radicals. We have some imbeciles here in Russia, yes, radicals. But we don’t go around protecting these people, who go with flags to the streets.”
Amid rumors in Russia that he might deploy a military force to bolster his war effort, Putin denied the possibility. “We are not thinking about additional enlistment. We have enough soldiers in the professional forces. [na guerra]”, he said.
In his first comment on NATO’s refusal to try to establish a no-fly zone over Ukraine, at the request of the government under attack, Putin said the move would be catastrophic.
“This would have catastrophic consequences for Europe, and the West understood that. I think it was the right path,” he said. Such a move would inevitably mean making NATO fight Russia, and Ukraine has accused the military alliance of being weak and insecure, condemning the country’s civilians to be bombed.
