For Russian ex-president Medvedev, Ukraine is a "dying state". For him, three scenarios come into question as to how the Ukraine war could end.
Moscow/Frankfurt - The war in Ukraine continues relentlessly. Ukraine continues to brace itself against Russian troops. On Thursday (25 May), Kyiv confirmed: "The counteroffensive is underway." President Volodymyr Zelensky's country reported Russia's latest attacks as "unsuccessful". An end to Russia's war of aggression is still not in sight.
According to its own statements, Russia would only be ready for a lasting peace in Ukraine once it has annexed most of the attacked neighboring country. Meanwhile, the deputy head of the Russian Security Council, ex-President Dmitry Medvedev, outlined on Thursday three scenarios for the outcome of the war, according to his presentation. He mentioned a division of the country between Russia and the European Union.
Dmitry Medvedev. © Ekaterina Shtukina/dpa
Ukraine-News: Russia outlines scenarios for the end of the war - and brings division into conversation with EU
In Medvedev's preferred variant, western regions of Ukraine would be added to several EU states and eastern Russia, while residents of the central regions would vote to join Russia. With this outcome, "the conflict ends with sufficient guarantees that it will not resume in the long run," Medvedev wrote on the Telegram online service.
If, however, a part of Ukraine that has remained independent were to join the EU or NATO, a resurgence of hostilities was to be expected, "with the danger that it could quickly turn into a full-fledged third world war," the confidant of Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin claimed.
In a scenario that Medvedev said was "temporarily" acceptable to Moscow, Ukraine would be completely divided between EU countries and Russia in the wake of the war, while a Ukrainian government in exile would be formed in Europe.
Russia's war: Ex-President Medvedev calls Ukraine a "dying state"
Variants other than these three are not realistic, "this is clear to everyone," Medvedev claimed. Although some in the West are "uncomfortable" with admitting this, the ex-president of Russia continued. He described Ukraine as a "dying state" that would disintegrate as a result of a lost military conflict. Yevgeny Prigozhin, on the other hand, warned in a recent video interview of a defeat for Russia - and once again did not hold back with criticism and threats against the Kremlin. (mbr/dpa)
