A special military operation in Ukraine has already turned into a war due to the intervention of the West, Russian presidential spokesman Dmytro Peskov said on Friday, according to the state news agency TASS.

Kremlin spokesman Dmytro PeskovPhoto: Kommersant photo agency / ddp USA / Profimedia

“We are in a state of war. Yes, it started as a special military operation, but as soon as this group was formed, when the collective West became a participant in it on the side of Ukraine, it became a war for us,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

“I am convinced of this. And everyone should understand this, for internal motivation,” said Peskov.

He also said on Friday that Russia must fully “liberate” its “new regions” to ensure the safety of those there, referring to the four Ukrainian regions that Russia claims to have annexed in 2022.

The phrase “special military operation” was first used by Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, when Russia began aggression against Ukraine.

Russian officials and Russian state media have so far avoided the term “war.”

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