Russia has largely achieved the goal of “demilitarizing Ukraine”. This was announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Saturday evening, reports the Russian state news agency PAW.
– One of the tasks was to demilitarize Ukraine. In fact, that task has largely been achieved, he says.
Ukraine’s allies in the West are currently pumping military equipment into the country to support the ongoing counter-offensive to push back the Russian occupation forces. Few places in the world are as militarized as the Ukrainian territory across which the front stretches.
According to British Ministry of Defence both Russia and Ukraine are suffering heavy losses in the ongoing fighting. The ministry’s assessment is that the Russian losses can be equated with the tough battles that were fought around the town of Bachmut in March.
But when the Kremlin’s spokesperson was interviewed on Saturday about the ongoing situation, a completely different picture was presented.
– Ukraine was heavily militarized at the start of the special military operation. And as Putin said yesterday, one of the tasks was to demilitarize Ukraine. In fact, that task has largely been achieved, says Dmitry Peskov.
“Less and Less Weapons”
Peskov explains his somewhat unexpected claim by clarifying his own definition of the word, where he believes that Ukrainian weapons are being used less and less.
– Ukraine is using less and less of its own weapons – and is using more and more of the weapons that the West provides them, he says.
Peskov also took the opportunity to criticize NATO allies for increasingly “getting involved” in the conflict. Which he considers means both an “escalation” and a “extension”.
– The countries of the West, the North Atlantic Alliance led by Washington, are increasingly – directly and indirectly – involved in this conflict. They intervene in the conflict and thus become a party. This naturally leads to the conflict becoming more protracted, he says.