The goal of demilitarizing Ukraine declared by Moscow at the start of the military campaign in the neighboring country in February 2022, has been met “to a large extent”, according to the Kremlin.
A year ago, Putin justified the invasion in the protection of people from the “abuses and genocide” of which they were subjectedhe said, by the Ukrainian government for eight years.
Now, the next step of the Russian objective seems to be fulfilled by ensuring that “Ukraine is using less and less of its weapons and increasingly the weapons systems supplied to it by Western countries,” Russian presidential spokesman Dmitri Peskov said.
Therefore, “one of the tasks” that the Russian side had set for itself “has in fact been largely accomplished,” he added. Peskov insisted on the Russian theory why they invaded Ukraine by confirming that it was “heavily militarized” a year and a half ago, which can no longer be said now.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered what Moscow continues to call a “special military operation” in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, citing the need to “demilitarize” and “denazify” the neighboring countryas well as protect the population of Donbas.
This week, the head of the Kremlin affirmed that the objectives of the war campaign had been modified during its course without undergoing fundamental changes.