Speaking at an annual meeting with the defense ministry, Russian President Vladimir Putin said this Wednesday that the objectives of what Moscow calls a "special military operation" will be fulfilled "unconditionally."
“If they don’t want a substantive discussion,” he said, “then Russia will liberate its historical lands on the battlefield.”
Putin claimed that the previous US administration had "deliberately steered the situation towards an armed conflict", adding that Washington believed that Russia could be weakened or even destroyed within a short period of time.
He then attacked European leaders, accusing them of joining the Joe Biden administration. “The piggy banks of Europe immediately joined the work of the previous American administration, hoping to profit from the collapse of our country,” Putin said, adding that with “them, dialogue is impossible.
Putin's harsh comments came as US officials claimed that previous talks with Ukraine in Berlin had resolved about 90% of the most difficult issues. But deep doubts remain about whether the Russian leader is willing to compromise on his broad demands.
Putin has repeatedly insisted that Kiev hand over the remaining parts of the eastern Donbas region still under Ukrainian control — a demand that the White House has at times appeared to support, but which Ukraine has categorically rejected. Moscow has also demanded strict restrictions on the Ukrainian military, a ban on Western troops on Ukrainian territory, and an end to Western military support.
The Russian leader on Wednesday also denied that Moscow was planning to invade NATO territory, claiming instead that the alliance had begun preparations for a possible military confrontation with Russia, aiming for 2030.