MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia considers itself at war as a result of the West’s action in Ukraine, and it cannot allow a state to exist on its borders that has demonstrated a willingness to use any means to seize control of Crimea, the Kremlin warned Friday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov’s statements to the Russian journal “Arguments and Facts” were some of his most hawkish on Ukraine yet, coming after a massive Russian strike on Ukrainian energy infrastructure overnight.
“We are at war. Yes, it began as a special military operation, but after this group was formed, and the collective West joined in on Ukraine’s side, it became a war for us,” Peskov stated.
“I’m convinced of that. And everyone should realise this for their own motivation.
Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, have progressively begun to use the phrase “war” after earlier insisting that it be avoided.
Peskov also stated that Russia must fully “liberate” its “new regions” to safeguard people’s safety, referring to the four Ukrainian regions that Russia claims to have annexed in 2022.
Kyiv claims Russia’s annexation was an unlawful land grab, and it will not stop until every Russian soldier is expelled from its territory. It is also resolved to reclaim Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed in 2014.
Moscow, which has made significant investments in Crimea, claims the peninsula is now part of Russia and that its status has been definitively resolved.
