Ukraine will not be able to win the war with Russia if victory means the defeat of Moscow, said Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto in an interview with the BBC. According to him, the real success for Kiev would be to preserve its independence and get the opportunity to independently determine its future, reports Focus.
„Ukraine will never be able to win this war… Because when someone in Italy says: „Ukraine will win the war“, some people thought that Ukraine wants to defeat Russia. That Zelensky will practically enter Moscow with the Ukrainian flag. "No, that's impossible," Crosetto said.
The minister stressed that his goal was to ensure Ukraine's survival and to contribute to the cessation of hostilities. He said a victory for Kiev would mean that Russian forces would leave the country and stop the bombing, so that Ukrainians could live freely again.
"For Ukraine, a victory means that Russia will leave, stop bombing, and Ukraine will once again become a free country - free to live and have its own future. That is the kind of victory for Ukraine that we all want," he explained.
Crosetto admitted that he believed the majority of Italian citizens were against providing aid to Ukraine. Nevertheless, the government continued to support Kiev. The minister notes that it is difficult to explain to the public why one should help a country resist and that such support does not mean opposing peace.
“And, above all, you should not give in to public opinion if you think it is wrong“, he says. According to him, Italy has already provided Ukraine with 12 aid packages, and it is possible to send a thirteenth by the end of the year.
The Italian minister also expresses concerns about the long-term intentions of Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Crosetto, the Russian leader is seeking to restore his country to the position it occupied before the collapse of the Soviet Union. He believes that Putin finds it difficult to accept the fact that Russia is not at the level of the United States and China, and wants his country to be among the leading world powers again.
„Russia has attacked Ukraine, Crimea, Georgia, and if we look even further into the past - Afghanistan. Therefore, the idea of an attack with the aim of occupation is embedded in the Russian mentality“, Crozet points out.
The minister also draws attention to the significant Russian spending on armaments and military activities. According to him, these investments cast doubt on whether Moscow intends to limit itself to the war in Ukraine alone.
„The number of their military will reach 1.5 million people. So if the war ends tomorrow, what will Putin do with 1.5 million soldiers? If he ends the war tomorrow morning, he himself will face internal problems. And that makes me think - given the fact that he continues to accelerate the pace - that he will not want to stop with just Ukraine... That is why we - as Europe and NATO - are preparing," Crozet emphasizes.