In the russian understanding, an empire requires three states - russia, Belarus, and Ukraine.

Lieutenant General Kyrylo Budanov, the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine, stated this during a discussion at the Yalta European Strategy conference.

“Ukraine is missing - without it, the existence of the russian empire is impossible. That is why it will not stop,” Kyrylo Budanov emphasized.

According to him, russia understands that it is unrealistic to achieve a strategic goal quickly through military means.

“I will not say some incomprehensible things about russia failing, about everything being bad - it is not so. They are moving forward. This movement is not significant or enough to achieve the strategic goal quickly. Therefore, they need a pause. They need to regain their strength, make “work on mistakes,” and try to destabilize the situation inside. Then they will have a new window of opportunity to achieve their strategic goal,” explained the Chief of the Defence Intelligence of Ukraine.

He drew attention to the crisis of international law, which failed to prevent war crimes in the center of Europe.

“Terrible things are happening in the geographical center of Europe. People are being forcibly resettled. People living under occupation. There are millions of them. Hundreds of thousands of people are suffering from the war. Wounded, killed, tortured. Concentration camps exist. All this exists. Yes, they [the russians] do not call them “concentration camps” - they are just prisons, but the same thing happens in them. How many people died in captivity. These are huge numbers.

Every day, missile and drone strikes kill ordinary people. There is a small percentage of the military there. Look at the targets where they are flying in - what military targets can there be in a kindergarten or a shopping center? This is all happening in the center of Europe. For three years, everyone has seen the full-scale process; for 11 years, everyone has seen it happening. So, where is international law? Is it asleep? Or maybe it never existed?” said Kyrylo Budanov.