Russia has achieved its goal as an aggressor, says Estonia's army chief
Photo: Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, Andrus Merilo (facebook.com_GeneralStaff.ua)
Russia, as an aggressor, has already achieved its goal, as it has sent a signal to the world that occupying another state's territory is "normal", says the Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces, Andrus Merilo, in an interview with Delfi.
By occupying the territory of a neighboring country, Russia has sent a clear message to the world that this is acceptable. He believes that after the negotiations, this territory will likely remain under Russian control for some time.
In his opinion, it is a message to other states. They may now begin to consider that they, too, have grounds to start a conflict over some long-standing issue or to seize some part from their neighbor.
"Russia will have a strong justification to attempt achieving its strategic goals elsewhere, as it has succeeded in Ukraine. What Russia pays for this in Ukraine - hundreds of thousands dead, severely wounded, and an exhausted economy - doesn't seem to concern it much. It is creating a new strategic position globally, and reversing it in the near future will be impossible," Merilo said.
He adds that if the resolution of the war in Ukraine leads to a frozen conflict, many countries will consider Russia as the winner.
Putin's threats
Russian President Vladimir Putin recently claimed that he would have decided on a full-scale invasion earlier if he could do it again. He also accused Ukraine of not adhering to the Minsk agreements and stated that Russia's invasion in February 2022 was "spontaneous."
