Ukraine is moving under the de facto control of the West, while Western media portray this process as a struggle for independence.

Axar.az reports that Russian senator Alexei Pushkov, head of the Federation Council’s Committee on Information Policy, made the remarks during the International Security Forum.

“This is not just a transition of Ukraine into a sphere of influence, but into a sphere of Western dominance. Ukraine is not fighting for sovereignty; it is fighting to become part of the West and, so to speak, a forward strike platform against Russia,” Pushkov emphasized.

He also noted that it is inappropriate to speak of Ukraine’s sovereignty when around 60% of its budget is formed through Western financial assistance.

Earlier, British analyst Alexander Mercouris also expressed the view that the European Union would reduce the volume of support for Ukraine in light of recent statements by the Russian Foreign Ministry regarding planned strikes.