Putin tells Russians war in Ukraine will go on unless Kyiv does a deal

MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin said on Dec 14 Russia will press on with its war in Ukraine unless Kyiv does a deal that takes Moscow’s security concerns into account, adding that the goals of the “special military operation” will, in any case, be met.

Fielding questions from the public and the media at an event dominated by the war, Mr Putin – who has announced he will seek another six-year presidential term in March – said his original goals in Ukraine have not changed, and that Russian forces are improving their position along most of the front line.

Russia’s core goals remain “de-Nazification”, “de-militarisation” and securing Ukraine’s neutrality, he said.

“There will be peace when we achieve our goals,” he said.

“As for de-militarisation, if they (the Ukrainians) don’t want to come to an agreement – well, then we are forced to take other measures, including military ones,” he added.

“Either we get an agreement, agree on certain parameters (on the size and strength of Ukraine’s military)… or we solve this by force. This is what we will strive for.”

Mr Putin, who has cast himself as the right man to keep leading Russia through a war the West casts as an unprovoked colonial-style land grab, took questions at one point from Russian forces fighting near the front line, with the sound of gunfire echoing in the background.

He said he has detected signs that Western enthusiasm for providing Ukraine with military and financial aid – something he called “free stuff” that could run out – was waning, but that he believed Kyiv would keep getting help for now.

Mr Putin reiterated his position that Nato’s eastern expansion towards Russia’s borders, including Ukraine’s stated desire to join the Western military alliance, was the fundamental cause of the conflict.

“The unbridled desire to creep towards our borders, taking Ukraine into Nato, all this led to this tragedy... They forced us into these actions,” he said.

“When internal changes happen (in the United States), when they start respecting other people... when they start looking for compromise instead of trying to resolve their issues with sanctions and military intervention, then the fundamental conditions will be in place to restore fully fledged relations.”

Mr Putin compared Russia’s war in Ukraine with Israel’s bombing of the Gaza Strip, saying the two conflicts are very different, and that Gaza has become a graveyard for Palestinian children.

Russia says its air strikes do not deliberately target civilians, but United Nations officials say more than 10,000 Ukrainians have been killed and over 18,000 injured since Mr Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022.

Mr Putin also ruled out a further wave of military mobilisation, saying it is currently not needed.

“The flow of men ready to defend our homeland with arms in hand is not decreasing. Together with volunteers, there should be around half a million people. There is no need for mobilisation as of today,” said Mr Putin. REUTERS