Vladimir Putin’s chief spokesperson has refused to rule out claims that the war in Ukraine could go on for more than 30 years.
This comes after Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic compared the war between Russia and Ukraine to the Korean War over the weekend. President Vucic, who has maintained strong ties with Russia despite European demands, said a “Korean scenario will be reached”.
The Korean War, which ended in 1953 with an armistice, is technically still ongoing since no peace treaty was ever signed between North Korea and South Korea.
President Vucic told the Serbian outlet Informer that “in the end, there will be peace, so the fight will be strong for every village.”
He said: “The Korean scenario will be reached, and it will not have a solution in 10, 20 or 30 years, and it will be the essential solution to the conflict in Ukraine.”
When asked about the Serbian comments, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to rule it out, saying in a chilling warning on Monday that “we proceed from the fact that the special military operation should end with the achievement of all the goals set”.
The Kremlin’s aims for its invasion of Ukraine are thought to broadly include the weakening or cutting of Kyiv’s ties with NATO and expanding territorial gains.
Serbia is an outlier among European countries as it refuses to accept EU sanctions on Moscow. According to estimates, Serbian weapons transfers to Ukraine through third parties have totalled over €800 million (£666m) since Russia’s invasion in 2022.
Meanwhile, Vladimir Putin has delivered a fiery speech to mark the second anniversary of the so-called ‘Reunification Day’ – when Moscow annexed four Ukrainian regions despite not having full control over the territories.
Russia annexed the regions of Lugansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson following sham referendums that were condemned by the international community.
President Putin praised the “reunification” two years on, saying that the “neo-Nazi dictatorship” in Kyiv had tried to cut off the territories “forever from Russia, their historic homeland”.
Turning to the war, he said: “The truth is on our side. All goals set will be achieved.”
The Kremlin leader slammed “Western elites” who “turned Ukraine into their colony, a military base aimed at Russia”.
He added: “Today, we are fighting for a secure, prosperous future for our children and grandchildren.”
