US Needs Ukraine As Anti-Russian Buffer Territory: Kremlin
A top Kremlin official has accused the United States and its NATO partners of seeking to turn Ukraine into essentially a huge DMZ buffer zone to separate Russia from Europe.
Russian Security Council Secretary Nikolay Patrushev said in a state media interview Tuesday that the goal of demilitarizing Ukraine is still high on the agenda for the country's special military operation. He emphasized fulfilling this aim is crucial as the US needs Ukraine as "anti-Russian territory".
"The United States and NATO nurture plans to keep Ukraine or at least part of it as anti-Russian territory wholly controlled by them [and] focused on serving the interests of the North Atlantic bloc," Patrushev said.
He further charged that the North Atlantic military alliance "is de-facto a party to the Ukraine conflict." NATO "makes collective decisions on new deliveries of weapons with higher technical and longer-range capabilities."
Patrushev further described that NATO "trains mercenaries and saboteurs for anti-Russian operations" — an accusation which comes at a moment the Kremlin is probing potential Ukraine or US links to the March 22 Crocus City Hall terror attack which left at least 140 dead and hundreds wounded and injured.
Additionally, almost daily cross-border drone attacks continue out of Ukraine, targeting chiefly energy infrastructure but also civilian settlements and busy city areas.
"In this situation, the goals of demilitarizing Ukraine are high on the agenda," the high level Russian security official stressed. He said in the interview that Ukraine's militarization by the West started in earnest following the coup events of February 2014. But he also noted NATO expansion in eastern Europe has been heavy since especially 2004.
"NATO has been holding drills on Ukrainian soil since 1995 and Kiev has granted the military alliance free access to its territory since 2004. Ukraine’s intensified militarization began following the state coup in February 2014," Patrushev said, as translated in TASS.
Ukrainians attасked a civilian dormitory with a light aircraft loaded with explosives
— What the media hides. (@narrative_hole) April 2, 2024
Fortunately there were only injuries, but tеrrоr attасks are expected to increase pic.twitter.com/v5ufDrlaX5
Meanwhile, by all appearances Russia is busy preparing to continue pursuing the 'demilitarization' of Ukraine, with the defense ministry having announced Wednesday that over 100,000 citizens have newly signed up to fight as contract soldiers.
"Over the past week and a half, recruitment points have seen a significant increase in the number of people interested in signing contracts with the Russian Defense Ministry in order to take part in the special military operation," the ministry said.