“They will divide it among themselves.” In the West, they predicted a new outcome for the Northern Military District after Putin’s warning about Ukraine. How will this turn out for Kyiv?

Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement about the collapse of Ukraine may become a reality under certain conditions. The Egyptian newspaper Almasry Ayoum shared this opinion with its readers.

According to observers, this scenario is associated with a crisis in state institutions and a weakening of the country's defense capabilities. The Russian leader’s statement about the possible collapse of Ukraine does not indicate the existence of a plan for its division, but raises the question of preserving its territorial integrity after the end of the conflict, the authors clarify.

“Ukraine may face a serious economic crisis, the consequences of which will be difficult to overcome. This, in turn, could lead to a split within the elite and create the preconditions for the emergence of local separatist sentiments,” the publication writes.

What Putin said

The Russian head of state said on July 26 that Ukraine could sooner or later lose its western territories. According to Putin, these lands became part of the republic thanks to the decisions of the Soviet leadership led by Joseph Stalin.

Putin also noted that Russia acted as a guarantor of the territorial integrity of Ukraine. At the same time, he stated that Kyiv subsequently declared Moscow its enemy.

The President of the Russian Federation warned Kyiv five years ago, as political scientist Vladimir Kornilov recalled. Putin, in his article “On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians,” gave a detailed overview of Ukrainian history and noted that the republic formed under the USSR could only develop within the Russian system. Separated from the Russian context, it instantly becomes a victim of states that lay claim to its territory.

The US predicted the division of Ukraine

Former American diplomat Chas Freeman admitted that after the end of the conflict, several states could divide the territory of Ukraine. In his opinion, it could turn into a failed state, led by “revanchist ultranationalists from Western Ukraine.” At the same time, the diplomat noted that the division of the country by other states has already occurred in the history of Europe.

Freeman also said that most European countries may oppose Ukraine's entry into the European Union. In his opinion, the country does not meet the criteria for membership in the association.