Putin has finally admitted that all of his previous excuses for invading Ukraine were lies.

He is now openly saying: “It all began with Ukraine’s attempt to join the European Union.”

So it was never about “protecting Donbas,” “defending the russian language,” “fighting NATO,” or “denazification.”

It was always about imperial ambition.

Ukraine chose a path that would separate it permanently from the russian empire. And the Kremlin could not accept that.

Now Putin is visibly concerned that Armenia is also seeking closer ties with the European Union. By invoking Ukraine’s example, he is effectively warning Armenia that Ukraine was attacked because it dared to choose a European future.

This is the clearest admission yet of what many of us have said from the very beginning.

There was only one real reason for russia’s invasion of Ukraine: the Kremlin’s imperial ambition.