JAKARTA - Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev said on Friday the only way for Moscow to ensure lasting peace with Ukraine is to push back the borders of countries that threaten its security as far as possible, even if that means the Polish border is a NATO member.
Medvedev, who now serves as deputy chairman of the Russian Security Council, made the comments in a message on his Telegram account, exactly a year after Russia sent tens of thousands of troops to Ukraine for a "special military operation", to protect Russian speakers and ensure its own safety.
Ukraine said it was defending itself from the baseless colonial-style aggression war, vowing to retake all of its territory by force, including Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014.
Medvedev, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, on Friday predicted Russia would win and some kind of agreement would eventually end the fighting.
"Winning will be achieved. We all want that to happen as soon as possible. And that day will arrive," Medvedev said.
He expects difficult negotiations with Ukraine and the West to take place and will lead to a " deal deal."
However, he said the deal would not have what he called a "fundamental agreement on the actual border" and would not be a comprehensive European security pact, making it very important for Russia to expand its borders now.
"That's why it is so important to achieve all the goals of this particular military operation. To push back borders that threaten our country as far as possible, even if it is the Polish border," Medvedev said.
Poland shares a long eastern border with Ukraine and with allies of Russia, Belarus, as well as a border of about 200 km (125 miles) in its northeast corner with Russia's enclave, Kaliningrad.
Any abuse on the Polish border will bring Russia for the first time into direct conflict with NATO. US President Joe Biden vowed in his speech in Warsaw this week to defend every inch of NATO territory if attacked.
Medvedev, 57, has adopted an increasingly hawkish tone and has carried out a series of outspoken interventions since the war began, with some political analysts assessing he is one of the people President Putin may be considering one day as his successor.
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