Friday, 15 May 2026, 10:23
15 May 2026
According to Ukrinform, Andriy Kovalenko, head of the Center for Countering Disinformation under Ukraine's National Security and Defense Council, stated this on Telegram.
"The goals of the Russian political elite are quite predictable. They do not want to completely turn into a raw-material appendage of China (in my opinion, they already have, though they still do not think so), but Moscow has neither the manpower nor the strength to confront Beijing. Therefore, Russia's political elite looks toward Europe and dreams of restoring the USSR's influence in the eastern part of the continent," he said.
According to Kovalenko, Russia seeks to create leverage over Beijing by strengthening its own position in Europe and is investing resources into dividing the EU. Ukraine is the key obstacle to these plans because it is oriented toward Europe and competes with Russia in many areas.
