Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow will continue its military onslaught in Ukraine until it meets its tactical objectives, dismissing Kyiv’s latest suggestions to halt hostilities and signalling that the more than four-year-old war is far from ended.
Putin said in an interview with Russian state television that “Russia will continue to work to gain full control of the four Ukrainian regions it claims to have annexed – Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson – despite renewed calls from Ukraine for measures aimed at easing the conflict.”
Putin said Ukraine has proposed a mutual halt to long-range strikes as a confidence-building gesture toward future peace negotiations. The Russian leader brushed aside the suggestion, saying it would mainly help Kyiv by relieving pressure on Ukrainian forces along the roughly 1,250-kilometre front line.
“It’s clear why this initiative is being taken,” said Putin, who argued Russia’s strikes deep within Ukraine have had a stronger military effect. The Ukrainian military was suffering from serious personnel shortages, he said, and Moscow had no intention of lessening military pressure.
The Kremlin leader reaffirmed that Russia’s major military goal remained the “full liberation” of Donbas and Novorossiya – a name Russia uses to refer to the Donetsk and Luhansk regions and the partially occupied Zaporizhzhia and Kherson areas. Moscow officially announced the annexation of the four areas in 2022, even though it does not yet have complete control over them. The annexations are still illegal in the eyes of Ukraine and the vast majority of the international world.
Ukrainian officials did not immediately provide an official response to Putin’s fresh remarks. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a public offer earlier this month to meet with Putin in an attempt to get stalled peace talks back on track, but the Kremlin has so far rebuffed the invitation.
The back and forth of recent days highlights the chasm between the two sides, as diplomatic efforts continue to fail in the face of continued combat.
Putin’s statements come as Ukraine’s ongoing campaign of long-range drone attacks on Russian oil refineries, fuel depots and military facilities continues to grow.
The Russian president said the attacks have caused gasoline shortages in a number of places, notably during the height of the agricultural season. But he emphasised that the strikes have not harmed Russia’s military actions on the battlefield.
Russia will ramp up manufacture of air defence equipment to confront the mounting danger from Ukrainian drones as it repaired damaged energy infrastructure, he said.
Fighting on the eastern front is heavy, despite even more sophisticated drone attacks by Ukraine far into Russian territory.
Russian soldiers are continuing to advance into the crucial city of Kostiantynivka in Ukraine’s Donetsk region, which is part of a heavily built defence line frequently referred to as Ukraine’s “fortress belt.” Military analysts say taking the city would be another major step in Russia’s drive to capture the whole Donbas region.
At the same time, Ukraine has stepped its strikes on Russian logistics, gasoline supplies and transportation networks in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s offensive activities.
Putin also signalled that diplomatic connections with the United States could be renewed when tensions over the Middle East subside, taking a firm line on the military.
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Russia hopes U.S. envoys would return to Moscow for more talks, he added, hinting at a role for Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko in future peace efforts. But Putin stressed any talks would have to accept Russia’s territorial ambitions and military aims.
Putin’s new words mirror the growing chasm between Moscow and Kyiv over the terms of a settlement to the conflict.
Ukraine is still pushing for diplomatic engagement and increasing strikes on Russian military and energy facilities, while Russia says it will continue offensive operations until it accomplishes its stated combat aims.
Both sides have ramped up drone strikes and ground fighting but diplomatic efforts have stagnated and the war has entered yet another stalemate phase with little hope of an end in sight.
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