The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, during a meeting with journalists in Bishkek, confirmed that the Russian Federation is prepared for the scenario of a "war to the last Ukrainian." This dangerous situation was commented on by Ukrainian journalist and publicist Vitaliy Portnikov in his blog on Facebook.
Portnikov notes that Putin's words only confirm his conclusions made back in February 2022: the Kremlin perceives the war not only as a struggle for territories but also as a method to achieve the "final solution to the Ukrainian question." He emphasized that for Putin, Ukraine is needed not for development, but merely as a "huge military base" to position missiles closer to Europe.
Perspective on the occupied territories
Portnikov also mentioned that Russia intends to turn the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, such as Melitopol, into a desert. He pointed out that Ukraine will never return to these territories, as they are "cleansed" of the local population and are not subject to further development.
Historical perspective
As an example, Portnikov cites the Kaliningrad region, where until recently there were no investments due to uncertainty about whether the territory would remain under Russia's control. Now the Kremlin intends to repeat this scenario in Ukraine, leaving the occupied regions without people and resources.
In Portnikov's opinion, patriotic sentiments in Ukraine are only strengthening in the face of Russian threats, and any attempts to achieve peace with the Kremlin appear to be diplomatic gestures with no real chances of success. "The international community must stop not just the war, but the 'Kremlin-approved genocide,'" he emphasized, stressing the necessity of increasing pressure on Russia.
This position requires the West to intensify sanctions and other measures to halt aggression against Ukraine and protect its people.
