Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs names Putin's main goal in war against Ukraine

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According to Rinkevičs, Putin's main goal is the restoration of the Russian empire, and he does not think about the impact of the war in Ukraine on future elections, since they actually do not exist in the Russian Federation.

"I don't think he is thinking about the 2024 elections. I think he just wants to have an empire. And we understand that without Ukraine, without the destruction of Ukraine, it is impossible. But I really believe that there will be no election campaign. It will be just a real circus for both Russian and foreign audiences," Rinkevičs said.

He explained that the elections in the Russian Federation have turned into a ceremony designed to convince the majority of Russians that the president, Duma and all others have been elected.

"That's why it's not about elections. It's about preserving power. And I think that now Putin depends more on his inner circle: security forces, the Ministry of Defense, and not on what people in St. Petersburg or Vladivostok think. I believe that  the real electorate is those people who sit in the Kremlin, not those who are going to participate in the elections," Rinkevičs concluded.