Putin Has Not Abandoned Maximialist Goals in Ukraine and Is Creating a Pretext for Escalation in the Baltic States, ISW

Russian President Vladimir Putin has not abandoned his maximalist goals in Ukraine and is creating a pretext for escalation in the Baltic states, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) based in Washington, which analyzes the words of the Russian president in its daily reports, as reported by the BBC's Russian service.

On January 16, Putin stated that the Ukrainian peace proposal is "an attempt to encourage us to abandon the gains we have made over the past one and a half years." He added, "But this is impossible. Everyone understands that this is impossible."

"Putin continues to show that Russia is not interested in good-faith negotiations with Ukraine, and that Russia's maximalist goals in Ukraine, which require the complete capitulation of Ukraine and the West, remain unchanged," ISW concludes.

"What is happening now in Latvia and other Baltic republics, where Russian citizens are simply being thrown out, are very serious matters that directly affect our country's security." He spoke about the Latvian authorities' plans to expel Russian citizens who have not applied for a new residence permit by the established deadline.

"ISW has seen no signs that a Russian attack on the Baltic states is imminent or likely, but Putin can create information conditions for future aggressive actions abroad under the guise of protecting his 'compatriots.' Recently, Putin threatened Finland in mid-December and reiterated a worldview that suggests he continues to push for changes that he demands within the NATO alliance, which are tantamount to its dissolution," analysts at the institute commented.