Russia says Ukraine must surrender even as Putin’s army retreats
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Russia says Ukraine must cede sovereignty over territories Moscow has annexed.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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MOSCOW – Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Ukraine must surrender or face continued war, even as Moscow’s troops have been forced to retreat in a series of damaging defeats.
In an interview with the state-run news service Tass published on Tuesday, Mr Lavrov said Ukraine must cede sovereignty over territories annexed by Russia since President Vladimir Putin’s Feb 24 invasion.
He reiterated claims that Russia’s aim in starting the war was “the de-Nazification and de-militarisation” of Ukraine.
The Kremlin’s goals “are well-known to the enemy”, Mr Lavrov said. “Fulfill them for your own good. Otherwise the issue will be decided by the Russian army.”
With the war entering its 11th month, Russian forces are on the back foot after repeated battlefield failures under pressure from a Ukrainian counter-offensive backed with weapons from its US and European allies.
Mr Putin conceded last week that the situation is “extremely difficult” in four partly-occupied regions of east and south Ukraine, where Ukrainian forces have gradually reclaimed territory.
In November, Ukraine took back the southern city of Kherson,
Still, Mr Putin also told a meeting with top military officials last week that Russia has “no limitations” on military spending for the war in Ukraine, as he called on the army to deliver results.
Faced with mounting losses, Kremlin officials in recent months had toned down public demands for Ukraine to capitulate after the failure of Russia’s attempt early in the war to seize the capital Kyiv and overthrow President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government.
Russia narrowed its war goals to control the four regions that Mr Putin formally annexed in September, even though his troops didn’t fully occupy them and have since lost more of the territories.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said in an interview with the Associated Press that his country wants to hold a peace summit in February, but he doesn’t anticipate Russia taking part.
Kyiv is ready to hold direct talks with Moscow only after Russia faces a war-crimes tribunal, he said. BLOOMBERG
