because this is about the entire way that putin understands russia. russia, in his understanding, is a sort of great power, that has this 1,000 years of history linking back to kyiv and rus. it doesn t make sense if they can t control kyiv. that doesn t have to be literal control. it could be having sort of a pro russian politician in charge. but essentially, they need to be a vassal state. they need to be what he calls a colony because only russia can be sovereign. so i don t think we can rule that out as long as putin or somebody with a similar worldview is in power. so how does this war end, and when does it end? the answer, i m afraid, is probably not until both sides believe that there is nothing more to be gained by fighting on, and we are not yet at that point. russia says it wants peace, but only on its terms. translation: we confirm our- willingness to conduct negotiations. the aim would be to eradicate the root causes that forced us to start our special military operation in
i mean, you re basically saying there s no real light at the end of the tunnel in the near term. i can t see it and i desperately want to, but i cannot see any light at the end of the tunnel. is there a risk that russia is going to have another go at kyiv, the capital, and try and do a second invasion? i certainly don t think you can rule it out. and i m quite surprised by some people who do, because this is about the entire way that putin understands russia. russia in his understanding is a sort of a great power, that comes that has this 1,000 years of history linking back to kyiv and rus. it doesn t make sense if they can t control kyiv. that doesn t have to be literal control. it could be having sort of a pro russian politician in charge. but essentially they need to be a vassal state. they need to be what he calls a colony because only russia can be sovereign. so i don t think we can rule that out as long as putin or somebody with a similar worldview is in power. so how does this w
right? they took over, held a referendum. everyone wanted to be a vassal state of russia. ukraine is not in control of crimea anymore. what happens here? what happens here, like you said, like crimea. the referendum in crimea in 2014 took place the same way as now point of a gun. people were forced to vote. the results, as you said, for andalusia. 97%, which is ludicrous. the key point here, ali, is that the ukrainians don t care. the ukrainians are going to continue to fight. ukrainians are going to continue to push the russians out of those four provinces. they have done it in crimea just as you said. the ukrainians have attacked crimea. they have attacked air bases in crimea. what has happened?
can dictate vassal state of china, where china can dictate the pace, and china is quite can dictate the pace, and china is quite satisfied that that will happen and at the same time, if that does happen with putin, putin actually does happen with putin, putin actually stands there, get the ukraine actually stands there, get the ukraine actual fight on the ground which ukraine actual fight on the ground which is ukraine actual fight on the ground which is going so badly for him forget which is going so badly for him forget that which is going so badly for him forget that for a limit. one of the issues forget that for a limit. one of the issues he forget that for a limit. one of the issues he started with, he got finland issues he started with, he got finland and swedenjoining nato, and he got finland and swedenjoining nato, and he got the finland and swedenjoining nato, and he got the west in a form of symbiosis with russia and that is gone. symbiosis wit
ft headline could you talk us through this? the ft headline is, they do acknowledge the funeral ft headline is, they do acknowledge the funeral and occasion above that, but this the funeral and occasion above that, but this headline is very significant, because putin, and you must significant, because putin, and you must have significant, because putin, and you must have known this would happen, although must have known this would happen, although he possibly thought the west would not hold together in its steadfastness, which, fingers crossed, steadfastness, which, fingers crossed, it still is, that russia s customer. crossed, it still is, that russia s customer, the west, is saying, i don t customer, the west, is saying, i don t want customer, the west, is saying, i don t want your oil and gas, and indeed don t want your oil and gas, and indeed russia s investors from the west are indeed russia s investors from the west are saying, we are not coming into invest