Russia rejects Ukraine’s sovereignty and insists on further annexation – ISW
Pravda Ukraine
Russia has consistently rejected Ukraine’s sovereignty and justified its aggression with propaganda about so-called “historic lands”. Viktor Medvedchuk, the close associate of Russian ruler Vladimir Putin and former head of the banned Ukrainian Opposition Platform for Life party, has explicitly called for the annexation of Ukraine.
Source: Institute for the Study of War (ISW)
Details: Medvedchuk published an article calling for Russia to return its “historic lands”. The article was accompanied by a map showing all Ukrainian territories east of Lviv, Ternopil and Chernivtsi oblasts as part of “historical Russia”.
He insists that modern Ukraine has no historical legitimacy and that its independence is a “mistake of history” that should be corrected by integrating these lands into Russia. He also stated that Western support for Ukraine is aimed at destroying Russia from within and called Ukrainians “modern barbarians” whom Russia should “save”.
ISW emphasises that Medvedchuk’s statements reflect the Kremlin’s strategic policy of denying Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Quote: “Medvedchuk’s rhetoric as a member of the Russian elite with extensive ties to Putin are representative of the Kremlin’s systemic refusal to act in good faith regarding negotiations with Ukraine and the West and the Kremlin’s core unwillingness to negotiate with Ukraine – a state and government it considers illegitimate.”
To quote the ISW’s Key Takeaways on 5 February:
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to demonstrate his willingness to negotiate with Russia from a principled position that preserves Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the long run.
- Zelenskyy reiterated that the Ukrainian Constitution bans Ukraine from holding elections during wartime, but that Ukraine remains committed to holding elections in accordance with Ukraine’s constitution and laws after the war ends.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on 4 February that Russian forces have suffered roughly 300,000 to 350,000 killed in action (KIA) and roughly 600,000 to 700,000 wounded in action (WIA) since the February 2022 start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
- Ukrainian forces conducted a strike against an oil depot in Krasnodar Krai on the night of 4 to 5 February as a part of an ongoing strike campaign against Russian defence industrial enterprises and oil refineries.
- The Russian military continues efforts to restructure Russia’s peacetime military administrative control over military services (вид; vid) and is apparently disaggregating administrative control for Russia’s Air Force and Navy from Russia’s military districts.
- The Kremlin continues to prioritise domestic political stability over efforts to mitigate economic pressure and labour shortages.
- Ukraine and Russia conducted a one-for-one prisoner-of-war (POW) exchange on 5 February.
- Russian forces recently advanced near Kupiansk, Toretsk, Pokrovsk and Kurakhove.
- Ukrainian forces recently advanced near Pokrovsk.
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