Ollongren: Putin is vindictive and an autocrat
Defense Minister Kajsa Ollongren sees Russian President Vladimir Putin as “vengeful” and “actually an autocrat”, who wants to win the war in Ukraine at all costs. She said that on the television program WNL on Sunday.
According to Ollongren, Putin’s characteristics have been visible for some time, since the Russian invasion of Georgia in 2008 and the annexation of Crimea in 2014. “He is really out to restore things that he believes need to be repaired. of human lives,” said the minister.
The use of a hypersonic missile by Russia this weekend shows how far Putin is willing to go, according to Ollongren. “These are new, very expensive weapons. It mainly shows that they want to use everything. Putin wants to win this war at all costs.”
Ollongren was asked whether she considers the bombing of the Ukrainian city of Mariupol to be war crimes, as Ukrainian President Volodomir Zelensky does. She did not use that word, but did say that “the entire war is illegal. All the stories indicate that very heavy weapons are being used against arbitrary targets. I think that is why the international community condemns this war so strongly”.