According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Russia is no longer “primarily” concentrating its military efforts in Ukraine’s east.  He said that Moscow’s policy had altered in an interview with Russian official media after the West gave Ukraine longer-range weapons.

He explained that in order for Russia to maintain its own security, Ukrainian soldiers would now need to be pushed back from the front line. The US had previously charged Russia with making plans to annex portions of Ukraine.

In February, Russia invaded Ukraine under the false pretence that the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine’s Russian-speaking population had experienced a genocide and needed to be freed.

Five months later, Russia has taken over portions of the east and south of the nation, although it has since declared that its primary goal is the liberation of Donbas after failing to take Kyiv as planned.

Since February, Ukraine has received more potent weapons from the West for use in its defence against Russian forces.

According to Mr. Lavrov, this has compelled Russia to broaden its goals. In an interview with Margarita Simonyan, a well-known analyst on Russian TV and editor-in-chief of broadcaster RT, Mr. Lavrov stated, “We cannot allow the part of Ukraine controlled by [Ukrainian President Volodymyr] Zelensky… to possess weapons that would constitute a direct threat to our territory.”The West’s decision to arm Ukraine was characterised by the Russian foreign minister as an expression of “impotent fury” and a “will to make things worse.”

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