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The goal of Russian President Vladimir Putin is not only the absorption of Ukraine. Its main geopolitical goal is the destruction of NATO, the disintegration of the European Union and the displacement of the US presence in Europe.
This opinion was expressed by Hryhoriy Perepelytsia, director of the Institute for Foreign Policy Research, professor of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv National University on the air of UA, international broadcasting of Ukraine.
He noted that today the tension between the West and Russia has passed into the phase of a military-political crisis.
“Negotiations in Brussels between NATO and the Russian Federation, and the previous ones in Geneva between the US and the Russian Federation showed that we are entering the last phase of tension, which is called a military-political crisis. Moreover, this is a crisis between NATO and Russia, and to a lesser extent between the United States and Russia” – Perepelytsia said.
The political scientist believes that the negotiations on January 10-12 in Geneva and Brussels could not initially be effective, because in the phase of the military-political crisis, the effectiveness of diplomacy is reduced to a minimum, at this stage the language of ultimatums is used. And on the eve of the talks, Russia delivered an ultimatum to the USA and NATO about not expanding the Alliance to the east of Europe and about returning to the situation in Europe of the 1997 model.
“What was the main subject of this ultimatum? Much has been said about Ukraine, but Russia’s ultimate goal is not Ukraine. The final goal of Russia is the conquest of spheres of influence, the division of Europe into spheres of influence, as it was during the Cold War. And Putin said, and the draft of these Kremlin treaties clearly states: the sphere of Russian influence should be not only Ukraine, but also the Transcaucasus, Central Asia and Eastern Europe” – Perepelytsia explained.
Moreover, by Eastern Europe, Putin understands not only the post-Soviet space, in which Ukraine plays a key role for Russia.
“From this position, it is possible to win back all of Eastern Europe, which was part of the Warsaw Pact. That is, Putin’s ultimate goal is to regain control over all of Eastern Europe. That’s why they say: NATO, get out of Eastern Europe, we are going to positions that were before 1997, before the signing of the fundamental act. This is what we are talking about” – Perepelytsia is sure.
Therefore, in his opinion, in this situation – in a situation of an ultimatum – there can be no dialogue.
“In order for diplomatic negotiations to reach any result, a consensus is needed. How is consensus reached? When you have some common interest. Russia is not interested in the security of Europe. Russia has an interest in destroying this security architecture, which was rebuilt at the end of the Cold War. Therefore, Putin’s main task is not only the absorption of Ukraine. Its main task is to destroy, discredit NATO, disintegrate the European Union and oust the US presence in Europe. This is the geopolitical global goal facing Putin” – Perepelytsia summed up.
Earlier, director of the Eurasian Center at the Atlantic Council (USA), US Ambassador to Ukraine (2003-2006) John Herbst on the air of UA, international broadcasting of Ukraine, said that the war in Donbas does not achieve its goal, therefore Putin threatens with a full-scale invasion.
