DISINFO: The destruction of the Ukrainian state was never the goal of the special military operation
SUMMARY
The only thing that can be said with certainty is that from the moment a peace treaty is signed, the message will be spread in Ukraine that it is a victory because Ukraine was able to survive as a state in a confrontation with huge Russia. At the same time, Ukrainian propagandists will not care that the destruction of the Ukrainian state was never the goal of the special military operation.
RESPONSE
This article contains multiple recurring pro-Kremlin disinformation narratives about Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Russia's stated goals at the start of the invasion included “demilitarisation” and “denazification” of Ukraine, which were widely interpreted as efforts to undermine Ukraine's sovereignty and independence. These goals were accompanied by rhetoric suggesting that Ukraine should relinquish aspirations to join NATO or the EU, effectively dismantling its pro-European statehood.
Numerous Russian officials, including Secretary of the Security Council Nikolai Patrushev, have emphasised ensuring Ukraine's “neutrality” in military, economic, and political terms—a position incompatible with an independent and sovereign Ukrainian state.
Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander-in-Chief of Ukraine's Armed Forces, has explicitly stated that Russia's ultimate goal is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood. He highlighted that despite tactical shifts, Moscow aims to seize Ukrainian territory and dismantle its state.
Russia has pursued territorial annexation in eastern and southern Ukraine, including Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions. These actions align with a strategy to subjugate Ukraine under Russian imperialistic rule or impose a pro-Russian puppet regime.
Russian Armed Forces have repeatedly targeted Ukraine's energy infrastructure and civilian areas, which experts argue are tactics designed to weaken Ukraine's ability to function as an independent state. It is, therefore, legitimate that the broader goal of these tactics is the destruction of Ukrainian statehood.
Numerous analysts have noted that Russia views Ukraine as part of its sphere of influence and has long sought to undermine its independence. The invasion was motivated by Ukraine's refusal to align with Russian geopolitical and imperialist interests.
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