Putin names new justifications for Russia's war against Ukraine - ISW
Photo: Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Russian President Vladimir Putin once again claimed that he had no choice but to violate the 2014 and 2015 ceasefires and launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In his view, the decision to invade should have been made earlier, reports the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The ISW referenced an interview Putin gave to Russian journalist Pavel Zarubin on Sunday, December 22. In the interview, he reiterated his claim that Russia should have started its full-scale invasion of Ukraine even before February 2022. However, he added that it was impossible to say exactly when this should have happened.
According to Putin, Ukraine and the West misled Russia and failed to implement the Minsk agreements. This, he argued, gave Western partners time to prepare Kyiv for future military actions against Russia.
The Kremlin leader stated that Russia should have "prepared for this" and "chosen the right moment" to begin the full-scale invasion of Ukraine rather than "wait for a moment when nothing could be done."
The ISW noted that Putin failed to mention Ukraine's efforts to strengthen its military as a defensive response to Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territory in 2014 and the beginning of the war in eastern Ukraine.
"The Minsk II Accords (the Complex of Measures for the Implementation of the Minsk Protocol of February 11-12, 2015 -ed.) were notably extremely favorable to Russia, placing no obligations on Moscow – which was party to the negotiations as an alleged neutral mediator. The Accords established a 'ceasefire' that Russian proxies continually violated with Russian support," the ISW reminded.
Putin's threats
On December 19, during the annual Direct Line broadcast, Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke with Russian citizens, commenting on recent events and the Kremlin's intentions.
During the broadcast, Putin made similar remarks to those made during his televised press conference earlier that day. He stated that he would have decided on a full-scale invasion earlier if he could do it again. He also claimed that Ukraine was not adhering to the Minsk agreements and that Russia "spontaneously" invaded in February 2022.
Specifically, during the broadcast, Putin threatened to strike Ukraine again with a medium-range ballistic missile, Oreshnik. Russia first used this type of missile in an attack on Dnipro on November 21, after Ukrainian forces hit a command post near Kursk, where several North Korean generals were killed.
Additionally, during the Direct Line, Putin claimed that Russia was advancing rapidly and winning on the battlefield and would outlast Ukraine and the West’s resolve. The ISW advised Western leaders to accelerate and strengthen their support for Ukraine to ensure Russia’s defeat in the war.
