Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov expressed the necessity of convincing a "fragment of society" in Russia that opposes the war in Ukraine of President Vladimir Putin's decision to invade the neighboring country.
"Practically the entire society agrees with Putin's stance. Those who are against it do exist, but they are, you know, a fragment of society; there are very few of them," Peskov mentioned in an interview with "Arguments and Facts". He recalled that Putin secured an "unprecedented" 87% of the votes in the presidential election after 24 years in power, which he described as a "global phenomenon".
Despite this, Peskov acknowledged the presence of "people with names, with certain authority" who "very loudly take an uncompromising position" and influence Russians through their business or creativity.
"Some of the dissenters have left and literally joined the ranks of their country's enemies. <…> Thankfully, those who have openly chosen to slander the country, support the Kyiv regime, and provoke enmity are few. There are also those who, for some reasons, disagree with the state's stance but do not leave, staying with their Motherland. Perhaps, over time, they will all understand. <…> And maybe, we need to convince these misunderstanding people, explain to them Putin's righteousness," Peskov noted.
According to him, Russian authorities are taking the necessary measures "to guarantee their future". Specifically, this is why Russia is fighting Ukraine, which, he claimed, was infected with the "bacillus of neo-Nazism" in 2014. "Neo-Nazism exists in Europe and America, but nowhere has it entrenched in power quite like in Ukraine," Peskov stated.
Russia's goal is to neutralize Ukraine's military potential to ensure the safety of residents in annexed regions, the presidential spokesman emphasized. Moreover, Moscow aims to "eliminate the possibility" of having a state with "aggressive aspirations" and "nationalist content" at its borders.
"They, for example, want to forcefully take our Crimea. How can we allow the existence of a state at our borders, which has documented intentions to use any methods to take Crimea from us? I'm not even talking about the new regions," said Peskov.
Putin announced the start of a "special military operation" in Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Among its goals, he cited the "demilitarization" and "denazification" of the neighboring country, as well as protecting the peaceful population of Donbas from "genocide by Kyiv authorities".
In July 2023, Putin admitted that the war's goals against Ukraine could change based on the current situation.
