The new commander of Russia’s so-called special military operations in Ukraine, Sergei Surovikin, said Tuesday that his country’s goal is a Ukraine that is “friendly” with Russia and independent of the West, CNN reported.

Russian General Sergei Surovikin and Russian President Vladimir PutinPhoto: Oleksiy Nikolsky / TASS / Profimedia

“Russians and Ukrainians are one nation,” said General Serhiy Surovikin on state television. “We only want one thing, that Ukraine be independent from the West and NATO and be friendly with the Russian state,” he says.

Surovikin assumed the post of commander of operations in Ukraine just over a week ago after an appointment approved by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.

“We are not trying to achieve a high rate of advance,” he said on Tuesday. “We are protecting every soldier and methodically ‘grinding’ the advancing enemy,” the general said.

He called the state of Russia’s campaign in Ukraine “tense.”

“The enemy does not stop trying to attack the positions of the Russian troops,” he said.

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