“Analysts believe that Patrushev’s comments are aimed at undermining and threatening Ukrainian statehood”, — write: www.radiosvoboda.org
These statements are aimed at influencing Russian servicemen and the internal population in order to attract them to participate in and support Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a report by the British Ministry of Defense on January 17.
Analysts believe that Patrushev’s comments are part of a long-standing practice of anti-Ukrainian statements by Russian high-ranking officials, which are aimed at undermining and threatening Ukrainian statehood, identity and culture.
“The rhetoric of the Russian leadership and the frequent accusations of Ukrainian Nazism before and after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 are almost certainly aimed at influencing Russian military personnel and the internal population in order to attract them to participation and support of Russia’s war in Ukraine. It seeks to use the deep historical and psychological impact of Russia’s war with Nazi Germany to promote the perception of Ukraine and Ukrainians as a threat, thereby justifying the Russian invasion,” the post states.
The other day, the former secretary of the Security Council of Russia, assistant to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Mykola Patrushev, stated in an interview that Moscow’s position on Ukraine remains unchanged – the Russian Federation is not going to return the occupied territories. Patrushev claims that “the Ukrainian people remain close, fraternal to us, we do not care about what is happening in Ukraine.” At the same time, Putin’s assistant assumes that “Ukraine will cease to exist this year.”