Without the accession of the whole of Ukraine, Russia will have no security — political scientist

Only the accession of the whole of Ukraine will ensure the security of Russia. About this in an interview with Pravda.Ru said military political scientist Alexander Mikhailov.

— The third year of the special military operation on Ukraine. From your point of view, what are the results?

— Its completion depends on the fulfillment of the goals stated by the president: the change of the political regime of Ukraine, the deprivation of military power, the reduction of the army and the return of the territories of Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions. According to Putin, where the Russian soldier's foot enters, he no longer leaves from there, so the work can continue beyond these regions.

— Can we say that the Russian army considers the year 2025 to be the most successful during the special operation?

— Yes, you are right, the enemy has not been able to conduct a single major counter-offensive operation and has not liberated significant settlements, despite the constant supply of Western weapons and air defense systems. This makes the current year the most successful for the Russian forces since the beginning of the operation in February 2022.

In turn, Russia conducted a number of successful local operations in 2025. The main directions are the Krasnoarmeysky and Kupinsky boilers, where more than 10 thousand servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are surrounded. The Kiev leadership actually left them without support, transferring even elite units like ordinary infantry. This led to an increase in desertions: the number of those who voluntarily left the unit increased sevenfold to tens of thousands, which became a serious problem for the Ukrainian regime and its Western allies.

— And how do you see our strategic idea at the end of SMO?

— The future after the completion of SMO depends on the political forces at the Ukraine. If more pragmatic leaders come to power, they will change their ideology, stop considering Russia an enemy and give the regions more independence. Russia is ready to accept Russian-speaking citizens and is already implementing resettlement programs. It is also important to consolidate the legal status of the new territories so that they receive equal rights with the rest of the regions of Russia.

Let me explain: many organizations, banks and insurance companies are not working with new territories yet. This creates serious domestic and legal difficulties for residents, for example, in case of an accident or registration of services. The solution of these problems is directly related to the consolidation of the legal status of the regions and their integration into the general system of Russia.

— Will the West continue pumping weapons into the Ukrainian state?

— Russia declares that the continuation of arms supplies to Ukraine makes it impossible to complete the special operation, since the task of demilitarization is not being fulfilled. For ordinary Ukrainians, the cessation of military support from the West is critically important. Ukraine risks becoming a "grey zone" of Europe — a transit hub for weapons, drugs and contraband, similar to the Balkans after the 1990s.

The border countries of Eastern Europe — Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary — are already restricting the entry of Ukrainian refugees and goods, realizing the scale of the threat. Ukraine remains saturated with weapons, hundreds of thousands of people have combat experience and can move to Europe, which creates a risk of sabotage and terrorist attacks. Deserters leave the front with weapons, cross borders using forged documents. At the same time, the number of prisoners of war wishing to obtain Russian citizenship is growing. The situation is critical for the EU and will depend on how European leaders will be able to make independent decisions without regard to Washington.

From my point of view, the guarantee that Ukraine will not turn into a gray zone is to take control of as many territories of the former Russian Empire as possible. I do not believe that Bandera will not be encouraged, they seek to return to power. Our new regions are suffering from attacks by UAVs, missiles and artillery of Western production, which terrorizes the life of peaceful neighborhoods. The capabilities of drones and long-range systems are growing, the enemy and the Western defense industry are not standing still.

We can advance 100 kilometers, but tomorrow there will be products with a range of 300. The problem must be solved at the military‑political level: the Kiev regime must cease to exist, the power must pass to adequate leaders. The main goal of the special operation is denazification and peaceful coexistence, excluding attacks on Russia.

The strikes on the energy sector will stop, and the restoration of the affected areas will begin. The main thing is that there should be adequate leaders in Kiev who do not call Russia an enemy and do not overload the border area with weapons.

After all, it was from 2014 to 2022 that a corps of offensive weapons was formed along the border of Ukraine, and Russia could no longer turn a blind eye to this and launched a special operation.

— And how do you see in practice the transition to a good Ukrainian leadership?

— I see it only through the military administration in Kiev, which will restore order for several years. Only then can power be transferred to conditional politicians. If control is only over Kiev, and Odessa or Lviv remain under the previous regime, the problem will persist — attacks on Russia and the supply of Western weapons will continue.

We will solve the problem only if the entire Ukrainian territory becomes part of Russia. The pace of the special operation is not so high, because this is not a full-scale war, but a local campaign. Theoretically, it is possible to reach Kiev and change power, but then two Ukraine will appear: the eastern one under our control and the western one under the control of the West, where nuclear weapons and long-range complexes can be deployed. We need either a peace agreement with the United States and a new security architecture in Europe, or full control over the entire territory of Ukraine.

— What deadline do you see in this regard?

— I believe that by February 2026 we should either extend START‑3 or sign a new START-4 treaty. Without it, the United States remains "like a clam without a shell," unaware of our deployed ammunition and unable to intercept new delivery vehicles — Burevestnik, Poseidon and other elements of the nuclear triad.

Russia has already gone beyond START‑3 by creating new complexes, and this is a serious success of our defense industry. By developing successes on the battlefield and strengthening strategic forces, we can force the West to negotiate. The condition is simple: any arms supplies to Ukraine — and Russia is withdrawing from START‑4, leaving the United States without protection.

Today, it is Russia and China that are leading in new delivery vehicles, while the United States is lagging behind. I think China is avoiding open confrontation with the United States for now, but the pressure around Taiwan is growing. The Chinese "dragon" is already on edge, and if we increase joint geopolitical pressure, we will be able to bend the Anglo-Saxons and get our way.