Ukraine Foreign Minister: "Putin's Ultimate Goal is the Destruction of Ukraine"

Dmytro Kuleba, Ukrainian Foreign Minister
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated in an interview with the U.S. CNN that Russian President Vladimir Putin's ultimate goal is the destruction of Ukraine.

Minister Kuleba said, "Putin's ultimate goal is to destroy Ukraine," adding, "Some parts of Ukraine are not even his concern, and he is not interested in bringing the entire country under his rule." He further explained, "Putin wants to ruin Ukraine's status as a nation itself. That is his objective."

Minister Kuleba said that his view was confirmed by Putin's speech the previous day. He said, "Through the speech, it was confirmed that Putin dislikes the fact that Ukraine has been granted the status of a nation, and he believes Ukraine does not deserve to exist."

U.S. President Joe Biden announced the first round of sanctions against Russia on the same day.

Minister Kuleba expressed support for the announcement of the sanctions themselves, emphasizing their importance. However, he added that the sanctions are not sufficient.

He said, "No sanctions will be sufficient until the Russian military withdraws from Ukrainian territory," and stressed, "It is important to recognize that we must continue to pressure Russia, and the sanctions announced by President Biden are only the beginning of the process to deter Putin and force the Russian military to withdraw."

Minister Kuleba continued, "We want to use all means to stop Putin," emphasizing, "If the strongest sanctions can save a country at the cost of those sanctions, then the strongest possible sanctions must be imposed." This implies a willingness to accept the risk of soaring international energy prices due to sanctions against Russia.

Minister Kuleba also said that Russia could launch attacks not only physically but also in cyberspace, and that preparations must be made to respond quickly to changing situations.

Finally, Minister Kuleba presented three reasons why the U.S. should help Ukraine.

First, he explained that Ukraine possessed the world's third-largest nuclear arsenal at the time of the Soviet Union's dissolution in 1991 but gave it up in 1994, having received promises from the U.S. and others to help and guarantee its security if Ukraine were attacked.

Second, he stated that the current situation in Ukraine is not just Ukraine's problem, but that Putin is challenging the Western order. He predicted that if the West fails in Ukraine, Putin will target another Eastern European NATO member country.

Lastly, Minister Kuleba pointed out that if Putin achieves his goals in Ukraine, other countries wishing to change the U.S.-led international order might exclude the U.S., and the West will realize it cannot defend its values.

In conclusion, Minister Kuleba emphasized that the U.S. should pay attention to Ukraine in terms of preserving the international order, and that the future of the current international order depends on how the Ukraine situation is resolved.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.