By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
MOSCOW/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Russia declared Friday it is in “a state of war” against Ukraine and, indirectly, the West after calling its invasion of the country “a special military operation” for nearly two years.
“We are in a state of war. Yes, it started out as a special military operation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “But as soon as this group was formed when the collective West became a participant in this on the side of Ukraine, it became a war for us,” Peskov added.
Friday’s announcement marked a significant shift in language and was due to prepare people mentally for an armed conflict requiring more sacrifices from them.
So far, even publicly using the word “war” about Ukraine could mean prosecution in Russia.
Yet, with hundreds of thousands of Russian troops killed and injured, Moscow has been mobilizing more men while extending its arms industry.
Peskov warned that Russia must fully “liberate” its “new regions” to ensure people’s safety there. He referred to the four Ukrainian areas that Moscow claimed to have annexed in 2022 but does not fully control.
WAR COMMENTS
The war comments came five days after authorities announced that Russia’s longtime President Vladimir Putin was “re-elected” for six more years.
Friday’s rhetoric followed what Kyiv said was Russia’s largest air strike on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, killing and injuring several people.
On Friday, Peskov suggested that Ukraine is preparing for an even more protracted standoff over Ukraine with the United States and its allies.
Mark Galeotti, author of several books on Putin and Russia, said Peskov’s remarks sent a powerful signal to the Russian public.
“That ‘internal mobilization’ is actually the key thing: the Kremlin’s demand that every Russian get into a wartime mindset,” Galeotti wrote on social media.
“Realize there is now no middle ground between being a patriot and a traitor (as Putin defines these),” the author stressed.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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