Russia’s Geopolitical Ambitions Go Far Beyond Ukraine
Occasionally a dose of bitter cynicism can also teach a valuable lesson.
Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya, permanent representative of Ukraine to the United Nations, known for his hard-hitting condemnations of Russia’s aggression and its other forms of hostile behavior, recently resorted to mockery to hopefully right Moscow’s wrongs.
Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” on January 16, 2025, Kyslytsya advised the member-states that the most productive way to react to Russians’ tantrums is to avoid matching the volume of their hysteria.
“We need to stay calm and carry on calmly explaining to them that they cannot and that they will not have what they want,” Kyslytsya said.
It’s like “101 Parenting, if you wish,” he quipped.
Would it be that the global community is merely dealing with an enfant terrible. But sadly, Russia is a maniacal culture dedicated to re-subjugating the former captive nations and annihilating as many of the peoples as possible beginning with Ukrainians.
The Ukrainian diplomat pointed this out when he said, “Russia’s geopolitical ambitions go well beyond Ukraine. For those who may have forgotten the ultimatums Russia issued before the invasion, I would remind their core demand: ‘NATO must revert to its 1997 borders.’ This is a point worth keeping in mind by some nations that joined the Alliance at a later stage.
“If we want to live in a safe and secure world, we must spare no effort to counteract Russia's aggressive imperialistic policies. The implementation of the concept of "peace through strength" is the only effective tool to stop the aggressor and ensure a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with the principles of the UN Charter.”
Kyslytsya repeated what has been understood by regional observers for many decades that for Ukraine this remains a war for survival.
As many Kremlin leaders have threatened, “This harsh reality was reconfirmed recently by one of Putin’s closest accomplices, Nikolai Patrushev, who expressed in an interview his hope that ‘Ukraine will cease to exist in 2025.’”
Kyslytsya continued: “Let me reiterate that this destructive ambition has guided Russian policy for decades. (Perhaps centuries – ID) It began with hybrid operations and economic pressure, escalated into the aggression in Crimea and Donbas, and culminated in the launch of the full-scale war in 2022.
“Statements like these, exposing the true intentions of the Russian leadership, deserve the utmost attention—particularly from those who refrain from contributing to efforts to hold the aggressor accountable, mostly – in exchange for short-term economic benefits.”
Amid UN debates, the war continues, missiles fly and Ukrainians die. “In satisfying its irrational Nazi-like hatred towards Ukrainians,” Kyslytsya said, “Russia particularly relies on terrorist missile attacks targeting civilian infrastructure. The latest one was carried out yesterday. In the depths of winter, the Russian target remains the same: our energy infrastructure. Yesterday Russia tried to hit gas facilities and critical energy systems essential for maintaining the everyday life of Ukrainian people.
To this end Russia launched 43 ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as 74 combat drones.
“At least 30 missiles and 47 drones were intercepted and Ukraine has managed to keep its energy system operational. At the same time, those missiles that reached their target caused damage and destruction that resulted in the disruption of electricity and heat supply in various regions. This again testifies to the urgent need to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense capabilities.”
The price tag for Russia is not cheap. Kyslytsya said since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, Russia has spent more than $18 billion on missile and drone strikes against Ukraine. “And Russia will persist with escalation as long as it has the financial resources to fuel this war,” he added. “Oil and gas revenues constitute the main source to this end. It is essential therefore to dry up these revenue streams by strengthening primary and secondary sanctions against Russia's economy.”
This is the sound reasoning behind the wide range of sanctions against Russian businesses and businessmen – to drain the Russian economy of every last ruble.
“Russia’s war budget for 2025 is 25% bigger than last year’s. If we want to stop the war, we should cut off Putin’s cash flow. Putin will start thinking about peace only when his inner circle tells him he is out of money,” he said.
However, in reality, Ukraine more than any other country wants peace but not peace at any price. That concept will not bring real and lasting peace at all but it “will just encourage the aggressor to continue violating international law, and not only in Ukraine.”
Kyslytsya said the diplomatic path to peace lies through the implementation of the Peace Formula. “We are also ready to consider other nations’ peace ideas that take into account the need to restore the territorial integrity of Ukraine, do not equate the victim with the aggressor, and are based on the principle of ‘nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine.’ They can be discussed in the formats offered by the Peace Formula.”
Ukraine demands and needs geopolitical relationships and partnerships based on equality and respect, not arm twisting like we see coming from Washington, DC. The United Kingdon’s recent 100-year document is typical of what Ukraine deserves. During an unannounced trip to Kyiv, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged to put Ukraine in the “strongest possible position.”
“Our 100 Year Partnership is a promise that we are with you, not just today or tomorrow, but for a hundred years — long after this war is over and Ukraine is free and thriving once again,” he said in a post on X.
According to a UK government press release, the treaty will boost military collaboration on maritime security across the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Azov Sea in an effort to deter Russian aggression. The deal will also seek to advance the countries' scientific and technology partnerships in areas such as space and 30,000 drones, it said.
European countries and the former captive nations regard Russian threats seriously. Among them, Lithuania, has decided to raise its spending on defense to 5-6% of overall national economic output starting in 2026 due to the threat of Russian aggression in the region, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said last week.
With his pledge, the Baltic nation bordering Russia becomes the first NATO nation to vow to reach a 5% goal called for by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. It currently spends a bit over 3%.
Nausėda said the “historic decision” was taken by the State Defense Council on Friday. “The possibility of Russian military aggression is still real, but not imminent,” Nausėda told reporters after the meeting in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius. “We need to increase our efforts to strengthen defense and deterrence significantly, devoting more resources to this end.”
Nonetheless, with the war dragging on and a new President getting comfortable in the Oval Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy continues to emphasizes his country’s hope for sustained US support under the incoming Trump administration.
“We are waiting for the inauguration of the US president. I think the whole world is waiting because the United States is a strategic partner in global stability,” Zelenskyy said this week during a joint press conference in Warsaw with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, another close ally of Ukraine.
Zelenskyy described the US as “the largest donor supporting Ukraine in its war for survival against Russian aggression” and expressed optimism for deepened cooperation under the principle of “peace through strength.”
Ukrainians continue to scare the bee Jesús out of Russian cutthroats, who are violently scared of Ukrainian witches – vid’ma. So, Ukrainians named their latest fleet of heavy drone bombers Baba Yaga – euphemism for witches.
“Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and cauldron bubble.”
