Head of Russian state broadcaster explains why Putin keeps his goals vague: “Whether we take Kiev, Berlin or Lisbon depends on the opportunity” | War Ukraine and Russia

According to Simonyan, she receives daily questions about Russia’s objectives in Ukraine. “It’s worded a bit harshly and vaguely as ‘demilitarization’ and ‘denazification’ and that’s on purpose,” she says.

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“Everyone says we should be clear,” Simonyan continues. “Are we going to take Kiev or not? And will we push on to Berlin? Or Lisbon? No, we don’t need to be clear. The goals change depending on the possibilities. And the minimum goal is the liberation of Donbas, Zaporizhia and Kherson.”

Originally, Putin formulated the minimum goal only as the liberation of the Donbas, but after the annexation of Zaporizhia and Cherson, those regions can no longer be abandoned, according to Simonyan. “They must also be liberated at all costs,” she says.

Whether Russia also wants to annex Mykolaiv and Odesa? “Certainly, because we do not want Ukraine to be able to develop a fleet in the Black Sea, which includes our Crimea and Sochi,” said Simonyan. “But whether or not that is possible is not yet clear.”

It also draws a parallel with World War II. “Initially, the only aim was to drive the Nazis off our territory,” she says. “But then another option presented itself: to go all the way to Berlin. That was a great goal, but it wasn’t there in the beginning. It only came about when it became possible.”

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