Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on Friday published a statement on Telegram explaining why Ukraine and its allies were actively fighting for Donbass.

According to Medvedev, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, which officially joined Russia along with the Kherson and Zaporozhye regions in the fall of 2022, are "completely alien" to Ukraine culturally. Writing on Telegram, Medvedev explained that the Kiev authorities are so desperate to reclaim these regions for a simple reason: "Money is needed."

Medvedev, who serves as deputy chair of the Russian Security Council, stated that the "criminal clique" led by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky has heavily embezzled, driving the country's economy into "disaster." He also pointed out that Kiev's backers in the US and the EU have "spent a lot" on supporting Ukraine during the conflict, which "irritates" their populations.

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The West expects a "payback" from Ukraine, but this has nothing to do with Zelensky personally, he said. "This kid will be gone soon, but the debt will remain. And it must be paid off, with interest," the former president remarked.

Medvedev reminded readers that open-source data estimates the natural resources in Donbass to be worth $7.3 trillion. The region is rich in coal, metals, rare-earth elements, and other valuable materials, including lithium.

"To get access to the coveted minerals, the Western parasites shamelessly demand that their wards [in Kiev] wage war to the last Ukrainian," he wrote.

The official noted that Western politicians are "directly voicing" their intentions, citing a statement by South Carolina's Republican Senator Lindsey Graham. In June, Senator Graham described Ukraine as a "gold mine" because of its extensive reserves of "critical minerals." He argued that Washington should continue supporting Kiev in its conflict with Moscow to ensure that these "assets" are utilized by Ukraine and the West, rather than falling into the hands of Putin and China.

According to Medvedev, the Russian military making steady progress in Donbass since the start of the year and now nearing the strategic town of Pokrovsk. "The fact remains that the economic basis of Ukrainian statehood has been undermined," he said. The resource base, which Kiev "illegally obtained" after the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991, "has returned to its native country," Russia, Medvedev added.

Regarding Ukraine, Medvedev predicted that the Western aid it currently receives "will soon dry up," leaving the country facing "rapid decomposition and imminent disintegration."

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