MOSCOW - Sergey Kiriyenko, First Deputy Chief of Staff of the Russian Presidential Administration said that it is not Ukraine Russia is fighting, but it is the West fighting Russia on Ukrainian territory and said that their opponent is not Ukraine, but a "united West through the hands of the Ukrainians".
Russian state news RIA Novosti reported that Kiriyenko said, "Equally, we understand that it is not Ukraine that Russia is fighting in the special operation on the territory of Ukraine. Rather, the united West is fighting against us on Ukrainian territory through the hands of the Ukrainians".
Ukrainian news Pravda alleged that according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have ordered the Russian media to emphasize that "the army of the Russian Federation is fighting all of the European Union and NATO member-states".
RIA Novosti stated that Putin said that the goal of Russia's "special operation" on Ukraine is "the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years" and that they plan to carry out "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine".
Dmitry Medvedev, who is the deputy head of Russia's Security Council and former president of Russia alleges that the war with Ukraine is actually a "proxy war" between the West and Russia and had stated earlier this month that it "increased the probability that an ongoing proxy war will turn into an open and direct conflict between NATO and Russia".
Medvedev also said that "there is always a risk of such conflict turning into a full-scale nuclear war, a scenario that will be catastrophic for all".
Russian state news RIA Novosti reported that Kiriyenko said, "Equally, we understand that it is not Ukraine that Russia is fighting in the special operation on the territory of Ukraine. Rather, the united West is fighting against us on Ukrainian territory through the hands of the Ukrainians".
Ukrainian news Pravda alleged that according to Ukrainian intelligence, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Kremlin have ordered the Russian media to emphasize that "the army of the Russian Federation is fighting all of the European Union and NATO member-states".
RIA Novosti stated that Putin said that the goal of Russia's "special operation" on Ukraine is "the protection of people who have been subjected to bullying and genocide by the Kyiv regime for eight years" and that they plan to carry out "demilitarization and denazification of Ukraine".
Dmitry Medvedev, who is the deputy head of Russia's Security Council and former president of Russia alleges that the war with Ukraine is actually a "proxy war" between the West and Russia and had stated earlier this month that it "increased the probability that an ongoing proxy war will turn into an open and direct conflict between NATO and Russia".
Medvedev also said that "there is always a risk of such conflict turning into a full-scale nuclear war, a scenario that will be catastrophic for all".