ISW appreciates Putin’s rhetoric and explains if he will change the goals

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s statements about the war on Ukrainian soil and the continued attacks on its authorities suggest that Putin will continue to pursue the goals for which he ordered a full-scale invasion in February 24th. On Wednesday, October 26, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported.

Analysts pointed out that the head of the Kremlin, in a recent meeting with representatives of the intelligence services of the CIS, promoted propaganda theses.

“Putin said that ‘Ukraine has lost its sovereignty’ and that the United States is ‘using Ukraine as a battering ram’ against Russia, the Union State of Russia and Belarus, the CSTO and the CIS,” ISW said.

Experts noted that Putin’s statements were supported by State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin. The representative said that “Ukraine is occupied by NATO” and “has become a US colony.”

The Institute for the Study of War noted that such rhetoric was incompatible with negotiations on equal footing on a ceasefire, not to mention an end to the war launched by Russia.

“This is a strong indication that the Kremlin is still looking for a military victory in Ukraine and a change of power in Kyiv, which will affect the reorientation of Ukraine away from the West. It also indicates that Putin’s goals are more even in the territory he tried to annex”, the analysts added.

It should be noted that the former commander of the US forces in Europe and the retired US Army General Ben Hodges is sure that the Armed Forces of Ukraine are capable of removing the territories occupied by the Russians after February 24 this year.