Patrushev called the events in Ukraine a confrontation between Russia and NATO

Russia is not at war with Ukraine, the events taking place there now are a military clash between Moscow and NATO, declared Secretary of the Security Council of the Russian Federation Nikolai Patrushev in an interview with Arguments and Facts.

“The events in Ukraine are not a clash between Moscow and Kyiv, this is a military confrontation between NATO, and above all the United States and England, with Russia … We are not at war with Ukraine, because we, by definition, cannot have hatred for ordinary Ukrainians” , – he said.

According to the Secretary of the Security Council, NATO instructors fear a direct clash with the Russian Federation, and therefore “drive the Ukrainian guys to certain death.” Russia during the special operation intends to put an end to the West’s experiment in the destruction of the fraternal Ukrainian people, as well as to liberate its regions from occupation, he added.

Patrushev also noted that the cultures of Russia and Ukraine are inextricably linked, and in Crimea, for example, the Ukrainian language is preserved as one of the state languages.

“The sooner the citizens of Ukraine realize that the West is fighting against Russia with their hands, the more lives will be saved,” Patrushev said.

The journalist of the publication also asked Patrushev if he still believes that Russia can achieve the “demilitarization” and “denazification” of Ukraine – the goals that were announced in February 2022.

“Neo-Nazi criminals who have been rampaging in Ukraine in recent years will inevitably be punished. However, it is possible that their curators will try to save the most odious ones for the purpose of using them in other countries, including for organizing coup d’état and performing sabotage tasks, ”Patrushev replied.

At the end of December 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin informedthat the steps associated with the special operation are a forced and necessary measure. On December 9, Putin said that Russia should have launched a special military operation in Ukraine earlier, hope was given by the opportunity to agree within the framework of the second Minsk agreement. Moreover, the president has repeatedly said that the conflict in Ukraine was provoked not by Russia, but by those who came to power in Kyiv after the coup d’état in 2014. He also spoke about this at a meeting with the mothers of servicemen participating in the special operation at the end of October.