Russia attacks civilians without scruples and the goal is make the Ukrainian authorities concede at the talks under the influence of society, consider experts in geopolitics. According to them, Moscow will hamper the entry of Ukraine into NATO at any cost and will try to destroy it from economic viewpoint by this war. Moreover, Russia for a long period has shown its dissatisfaction with the democratic processes in Ukraine and is afraid that democracy can expand, IPN reports.
Nadija Afanasieva, director of the Ukrainian Institute for International Politics based in Kyiv, said that Russia concentrated all its forces for the battle around Donbas after lamentably failing to take the capital city of Ukraine under control. A general mobilization in Russia can lead to the ousting of the Kremlin regime, while Putin wants to keep the own people’s sympathy.
“Russia needs people and military equipment to offset the sustained losses. There are reports that the Russians asked Iran to provide them with armaments. The situation for the Russian army is difficult. If there is a general mobilization in Russia, Putin will put the own regime under pressure as he does not know how the people there will react to mobilization. We can draw a parallel with Zelensky, who at the start of the war announced that weapons will be given to those who will help ensure territorial security. Zelensky risked a lot when he gave weapons to so many people as his rating was initially declining and he risked being removed from post by the Ukrainians, but it didn’t happen so,” Nadija Afanasieva stated in the talk show “Emphasis on Today” on TVR Moldova channel.
According to foreign policy experts, the Russian army’s attacks on civilians will continue as these acts are an attempt by Moscow to exert pressure on the Ukrainian authorities.
“By attacking civilians, Russia tries to obtain advantages in the negotiation process. Russia insists on what it calls ‘demilitarization, denazification, neutrality’. Russia will try to hamper Ukraine’s Euro-Atlantic integration. Russia wants Ukraine to become a gray zone that cannot take decisions. The civilians are a weapon that the Russian Federation uses without scruples against the government in Kyiv, which is elected democratically and this displeases Russia. Moscow does not like the democratic processes in Ukraine. Russia suffered a defeat on the spot and therefore tries to secure even a small victory for May 9 for this to be presented inside the Russian Federation,” said foreign policy expert Angela Grămadă.
Among the conditions of the Kremlin leader for stopping the military aggression against Ukraine are the demilitarization, denazification and the country’s status of neutrality. Vladimir Putin also seeks recognition of Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea.
