Philippe Folgado // Photo credit: Europe 1 20:29 p.m., December 10, 2023, modified at 20:30 p.m., December 10, 2023

654 days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, fighting continues on the frontline. Ukraine continues to seek support from the international community to help with its country's war effort. But for Alexander Orlov, invited to Pierre de Vilno's Europe 1 microphone: "Vladimir Putin has won the war".

It's been a year and nine months since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began. 654 days of fighting and no one seems to know when this war will end. Ukraine continues to ask Western countries for help to continue the fighting. A vain attitude, according to His Excellency Alexander Orlov, former Russian ambassador to France: "I think he (Vladimir Putin, editor's note) has already won the war."

"Americans are fighting wars to get rich"

According to him, the element that makes him believe that Russia has already won the war is the lack of manpower in the Ukrainian army: "The Ukrainian army is short of manpower, you can send as many weapons, ammunition as you want, soon there will be no one to use these weapons."

Moreover, for Alexander Orlov, the responsibility of the United States is to be pointed out in this conflict: "90% of the money that the Americans supposedly gave to Ukraine was spent in the United States. They've financed their own military-industrial complex, they're fighting wars to get rich, that's the secret of war."

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"We have even prepared a draft peace agreement"

On the question of why the Russians did not take the capital Kyiv, here again, the Americans have a responsibility: "The Russians have started to withdraw their soldiers from Kyiv, since negotiations have started with the Ukrainians, first in Belarus and then in Turkey. A draft of a peace agreement has even been prepared. But Boris Johnson, sent by the Americans, came to Kiev to say no, no signature, we have to continue the war."

On the question of why the Russians invaded Ukraine, the answer is simple, to help the Russian-speaking population: "Why did we attack eastern Ukraine? Because the Russian-speaking population was threatened and attacked by the authorities." And regarding the fear of neighbouring countries, such as Poland, that Russia will extend its borders to other territories: "There is no interest for Russia to conquer its lands, we have our own lands that we have not yet developed, we have so much work at home."