Russia’s Plans for Ukraine’s Regions Revealed
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu is not the one making promises. It’s his colleague, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, who spoke about Russia’s goals in Ukraine.
Belousov said that by 2025, Moscow wants to control four Ukrainian regions completely. This includes Donetsk and Luhansk, which are currently partly controlled by Russia, and Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, which remain under Ukrainian control.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has made it clear what he wants in exchange for a ceasefire and peace talks with Ukraine: Ukraine must give up four regions that are currently its own. These regions include Crimea, which was annexed by Russia in 2014.
Putin also wants Ukraine to stop trying to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Belousov agrees with Putin’s plan.
However, this might not be easy for Russia. The Ukrainian military has been fighting against Russian occupation and is still in control of two regional capitals: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
Belousov also talked about another issue at the Defense Ministry meeting. He said that Russia needs to prepare itself for potential conflicts with NATO within the next decade.
In September 2022, Putin annexed four Ukrainian regions illegally, including Donetsk and Luhansk. The international community has not recognized this move. Despite this, Russia continues to try to control these regions fully.
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