BERLIN, February 9. /TASS/. The West has not abandoned its plans to inflict the so-called "strategic defeat" on Russia in Ukraine, but since it became obvious that it would be impossible to reach this objective on the battlefield, the emphasis has begun to shift, Russian Ambassador to Germany Sergey Nechayev said in an interview with TASS on Monday.
"No one actually abandoned plans to inflict a ‘strategic defeat’ on Russia. It was previously about achieving this goal primarily via military-technical means, as well as by pumping Ukraine with weapons and military equipment," the diplomat noted.
"When it became clear that Russia would not be defeated on the battlefield, the emphasis gradually began to shift, the process was extended for a longer term, embracing the post-conflict period," Nechayev continued.
"In the updated version [of the West’s policy], the key thesis is now - 'don't let Ukraine lose,'" he said, adding that in order to achieve this goal, "new anti-Russian sanctions are being initiated, a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ is being formed, and guarantees for Kiev's security are currently being drafted, implying a possibility of deploying NATO troops in the territory of Ukraine."
