Putin told Scholz that "Ukraine is part of Russia" before full-scale invasion - ISW

Russian dictator vladimir putin told German Chancellor Olaf Scholz before russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that Ukraine was not an independent state and that russia could unilaterally and forcefully change Ukraine's borders

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

In particular, citing the media, analysts report that Scholz stated at the Freedom for Democracy Festival in Berlin on May 26 that putin told that "Ukraine and Belarus are parts of Russia," and that Scholz's discussion with putin demonstrated that putin believes that it is possible to change borders "by force".

The review notes that putin has consistently demonstrated that he does not consider Ukraine to be an independent state with its own history, identity and culture separate from russia, as evidenced by his 2021 essay "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians"; that his war aims include the total defeat of Ukraine; and that he has expansive territorial ambitions in Ukraine.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, meanwhile, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is against Ukraine's use of Western weapons for strikes against the aggressor country of russia.

Earlier, the Armed Forces told for how long the Ukrainian army had been preparing for a full-scale war.