Ukraine ticker. Kremlin: Scholes +++ Putin ready to report bombings in Kiev and Moscow

According to its own statements, Russia is ready for lasting peace in Ukraine only if it annexes most of the stricken neighboring country. Former President Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, outlined three possible scenarios for the end of the war on Thursday. In his preferred variant, the western parts of Ukraine would be given to several EU countries and the eastern parts to Russia, while residents of the central regions voted to join Russia.

With this decision, “the conflict will end with sufficient guarantees that it will not resume for a long time,” Medvedev wrote on the online service Telegram. On the other hand, if part of the formerly independent Ukraine joins the EU or NATO, hostilities can be expected to flare up again “with the risk that it could quickly turn into a full-blown Third World War.” A confidant of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin.

In a scenario “temporarily” acceptable to Moscow, according to Medvedev, Ukraine would be completely divided between EU countries and Russia during the war, while a Ukrainian government-in-exile would be set up in Europe. Options other than these three are not realistic, “that’s clear to everyone,” Medvedev said — even if few in the West are “comfortable” admitting this. He described Ukraine as a “dying country” collapsing as a result of a lost military conflict.

Russia has been waging a devastating war of aggression in Ukraine for more than 15 months. According to Western estimates, Russian troops suffered heavy losses and managed to bring under their control only the eastern and southern parts of the country. Western-backed Ukraine wants to fight until Russian troops are expelled from the occupied territories. According to the Ukrainian account, the long-awaited counteroffensive has already begun.