Last Update: February 23, 2023, 22:50 IST
Kiev and its Western backers presented the war as an unprovoked colonial-style land grab (Representational image: Reuters)
“Using Ukraine, the collective West is seeking to isolate Russia to deprive Russia of its independence,” Shoigu said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu accused the West on Thursday of using Ukraine to divide Russia, the world’s largest country, on the basis of territory, but said any such attempt would fail.
Shoigu, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, made the comments in a congratulatory message to the armed forces at a concert in central Moscow to mark Russia’s “Defender of the Fatherland” public holiday.
“Using Ukraine, the collective West is trying to deprive Russia of its independence. These attempts are destined to fail,” Shoigu said in comments carried by Russian news agencies.
His comments echoed similar statements from Putin and chimed with the Kremlin’s preferred narrative, which portrays Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24 last year as a pre-emptive strike that attacked eastern Ukraine and Russia’s own national capital. It was necessary to protect Russian speakers in security.
Kiev and its Western backers presented the war as an unprovoked colonial-style land grab. Ukraine has vowed to take back all its territory, but has vowed not to push beyond its borders into Russia.
read all Breaking News Here
(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)