Putin's main goal is not to seize power in Kiev, but to demonstrate NATO powerlessness - Guardian
About this in his review article "What does Putin want from Ukraine after six months of a bloody and horrible war?" In the British newspaper The Guardian writes journalist Philip Short, author of the Biography of the President of the Russian President. Analyzing the motifs of the Kremlin head, short emphasizes that Putin is able to show that the US and the North Atlantic Alliance are not able to stop it, is a priority.
At the same time, the destruction of Ukrainian culture in the occupied territories is likely to be an "additional bonus". "The purpose of Putin is not only to neutralize the regime in Kiev, but, more importantly, to show that NATO is powerless to stop it. If he eradicates Ukrainian culture in Russia -occupied territories, it is not a side damage, but a bonus," the journalist says.
He also quotes the words of CIA William Burns, when he was still the US Ambassador to Moscow, that Ukraine's accession to NATO is "the most striking of all red lines not only for Putin, but for the entire Russian elite. " The implementation of the plans of the head of the Russian Federation depends directly on the situation on the Ukrainian-Russian front, which, for its part, is related to the degree of Western support of Ukraine in the autumn and winter, continues short.
However, it is obvious that in the fall and winter the lack of energy and the rapid increase in the cost of life will become much more noticeable for Kyiv partners. However, as the British journalist emphasizes, the Kremlin does not need "great achievements" to declare Russia's victory in the war. To do this, it is enough to capture the entire Donbas and keep the land corridor in the Crimea. However, this does not mean that Putin abandons his plans to capture other territories.
So, if Russian troops take Odessa and the surrounding Black Sea coast, it will turn Ukraine into a vassal of the Russian Federation. However, even much more modest successes would show that the power of the United States has limits. "The war in Ukraine is not in isolation. While Russia denies the established US safety order in Europe, China challenges Washington's challenge in Asia. The geopolitical process has begun, the results of which will not be fully issued for decades," the journalist adds.
According to him, the world order of the last 30 years, which was established after the Cold War, is coming to an end. Recall that the US wants to get from China and India to stop trade with the Russian Federation. Americans are trying to persuade the major trading partners of the Russians to join sanctions and strictly punish companies that help the Russian Federation avoid pressure on sanctions.