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Ukraine may cease to exist as a sovereign state in 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s aide Nikolai Patrushev said in an interview with the pro-Kremlin tabloid Komsomolskaya Pravda published Tuesday.
“It can’t be ruled out that Ukraine will cease to exist at all in the coming year,” Patrushev said, offering no elaboration or evidence.
He claimed Kyiv collapsed “long before” Russia’s 2022 invasion due to its alleged “violent enforcement of neo-Nazi ideology and ardent Russophobia.”
Patrushev’s statement was in response to a question about possible territorial concessions during peace talks under U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who is set to take office next Monday.
Although Trump has pledged to quickly end the war in Ukraine, he has yet to present specific proposals for a ceasefire or peace agreement. The United States remains Ukraine’s largest military backer as Kyiv continues to repel Russia’s full-scale invasion.
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Trump’s favorable comments toward Moscow and his criticism of Ukraine and its Western allies have fueled concerns that his administration could pressure Kyiv to accept peace on terms favorable to Russia.
In the same interview, Patrushev made a similarly dire prediction about Moldova, an ex-Soviet republic that borders Ukraine and EU member Romania. He suggested Moldova’s pursuit of European Union membership against Russia’s objections could lead to its dissolution.
“I won’t rule out that Chisinau’s aggressive anti-Russian policy will result in Moldova either becoming part of another state or ceasing to exist entirely,” the Kremlin aide said.
Patrushev served as the head of Russia’s Security Council for 16 years before being replaced by former Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu in 2024.
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