DPR Leader Claims Kiev and Western Countries Profit From Ongoing Ukraine Conflict

Denis Pushilin, the Russian-appointed leader of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in eastern Ukraine, said that the government in Kiev and Western countries are making money from the continuation of the conflict in Ukraine, according to a report by Russian state news agency TASS.

Pushilin specifically claimed that European Union countries are capitalizing on weapons supplies to Kiev, TASS reported, though the outlet did not provide additional details on the specific evidence or context behind the assertion.

The DPR is a Russian-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine that Russia annexed in 2022 following a referendum that was not recognized by Ukraine or the majority of the international community, which considers the region to be part of Ukraine under illegal occupation.

Pushilin has served as a Moscow-backed official since Russia's actions in the region began in 2014 and has frequently made public statements aligned with the Kremlin's position on the conflict.

TASS did not report any response from Ukrainian officials or Western governments to Pushilin's remarks. Ukraine and its Western allies, including the United States and European Union member states, have consistently framed military and financial assistance to Kiev as support for Ukraine's sovereignty and defense against Russia's invasion, which began in February 2022.

The claims made by Pushilin could not be independently verified through additional sourcing.