Bangladesh, Dec. 27 -- It has been reported that, according to US intelligence, Russia “still wants to conquer all of Ukraine”. The claim, albeit not a new one, is explosive enough, not to mention politically convenient for the pro-Ukrainian hawkish factions within the US Establishment (or the “blob”). But is it backed by evidence or does it make sense at all?

This assertion, it turns out, rests less on demonstrated Russian policy than on a familiar Western narrative that has remained largely unchanged since 2021. That narrative portrays Moscow as pursuing a maximalist project of territorial conquest. Yet when one examines Russian statements, prewar diplomacy, expert analyses, and even peace proposals discussed du...