The Kremlin is seeking new arguments to convince the U.S. and Europe not to agree to provide security guarantees to Ukraine, and its ultimate goal is to turn Ukraine into a second Belarus, concluded experts from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), who analyzed a recent interview with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the Kremlin's propaganda media RT, LETA reports citing UNIAN.
The only option that Russia is "ready to consider as a long-term, eternal neighbor" is a friendly Ukraine, which is not necessarily an ally but is neutral and benevolent, Lavrov stated on RT.
The minister's statement indicates additional demands embedded in the initial Russian requirement for Ukraine's neutrality and reflects Russia's desire to turn Ukraine into a puppet state, even if it does not physically control the entire territory of the country, experts from ISW emphasize.
Lavrov's demand for a post-war Ukraine to be friendly and benevolent means that Russia will only be satisfied with a Ukraine governed by a pro-Russian government implementing pro-Russian policies, ISW highlights.
"Russia apparently seeks to turn Ukraine into a second Belarus, which it has effectively annexed, although Belarus has retained its borders and government," the ISW publication states.
Lavrov again rejected Western security guarantees for Ukraine. He also dismissed the possibility of a ceasefire until a final peace agreement is reached, stating that the West uses such a truce to supply weapons to Ukraine.
As ISW points out, Kremlin officials have continued to repeat the same rhetoric about Western security guarantees in recent months, consistently labeling such guarantees as unacceptable to Russia and designating the deployment of foreign troops on Ukrainian territory as legitimate objectives for Russia.
"However, the Kremlin now seems to be trying to find new arguments to reject Western security guarantees and convince the U.S. and Europe not to agree to them, likely against the backdrop of an impending agreement between the U.S., Ukraine, and Europe," ISW analysts conclude.
