Russia may want Ukraine to split into two countries when the war between the two countries ends.
Why it matters: The war between Russia and Ukraine has been happening for more than a month now and experts continue to seek out an endgame.
Driving the news: Kyrylo Budanov, the head of Ukrainian military intelligence, said Sunday that Russia is making “an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine,” per Reuters.
- “The occupiers will try to pull the occupied territories into a single quasi-state structure and pit it against independent Ukraine,” Budanov said in a statement, per Reuters.
Yes, but: He said that Ukraine’s military would prevent that from happening, according to USA Today.
What he said: “In fact, it is an attempt to create North and South Korea in Ukraine,” he said, per DW. “The season of a total Ukrainian guerrilla safari will soon begin. Then there will be one relevant scenario left for the Russians, how to survive.”
The bigger picture: Russia’s war on Ukraine began after Russia said it would recognize separatist areas of Ukraine as independent republics, as I reported for the Deseret News.
- Russia then said Ukraine was occupying these areas, so Russia had to invade to stop the occupation.
What to watch: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said over the weekend that he is open to declaring “neutrality” and ending Ukraine’s bid to join NATO, per The Washington Post.