Putin’s military goals are not limited to Ukraine: ISW explained the Kremlin’s demands

The Kremlin’s military goals extend beyond Ukraine to broader changes in the West’s security system. The Russian leader has once again linked a full-scale war against Ukraine to NATO expansion, which Moscow sees as a threat to its own interests.

This was reported by the American Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

The report recalled that Putin called the war in Ukraine a “direct consequence” of the West ignoring Russia’s position on expanding the Alliance, despite the Kremlin’s statements about allegedly earlier promises not to expand NATO.

Analysts believe that such formulations indicate the Kremlin’s unwillingness to agree to a peaceful settlement that concerns exclusively Ukraine.

“Putin has demonstrated that he will not be satisfied with a peaceful settlement that does not involve a radical restructuring of NATO,” ISW analysts noted.

The report also explained that fulfilling the Kremlin’s ultimatum demands, put forward in late 2021 and repeated in a speech on January 15, 2026, would lead to the de facto destruction of NATO and a revision of the entire European security architecture.

“Putin has repeatedly demonstrated that his demands go beyond territorial issues and are not limited to Ukraine,” concluded analysts at the Institute for the Study of War.

It was previously reported that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to continue their offensive in the Zaporizhia region and move towards Zaporizhia, despite talk of peace negotiations.

As a reminder, the Belarusian Ministry of Defense announced that the Russian Oreshnik missile system has begun combat duty on the territory of the country.

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