The Russian President Vladimir Putin apparently decided to attack the country despite concessions made by Ukraine on the controversial question of joining NATO. According to Reuters information, his top envoy to Ukraine had told him that he had reached an interim agreement with Kyiv that would allay Russian concerns.
Putin nevertheless decided to attack and attempt to occupy the country, according to three people close to the Russian leadership. Chancellor Olaf Scholz also said on August 22 that he had assured Putin before the start of the war that Ukraine would not join NATO in the long term.
The Ukrainian-born envoyDmitry Kosak, Putin had said, according to the sources, that the deal he negotiated would make a large-scale occupation of Ukraine by Russia unnecessary. Before the war, Putin had repeatedly claimed that NATO was moving closer and closer to Russia’s borders by accepting new members in Eastern Europe and that the alliance was preparing to bring Ukraine under its control as well. This poses an existential threat to Russia and is forcing it to respond.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to this information: “This has absolutely no relation to reality. Nothing like this ever happened. This is absolutely false information.” Kosak himself did not respond to a request for comment.