On Wednesday, it was stated that Russia’s objectives in Ukraine remain unchanged and will be achieved either through negotiations or by means of further military advancements if diplomatic endeavors prove unsuccessful.
During an annual board meeting of the country’s Defense Ministry, Putin boasted about Russia’s military progress on the battlefield and technological improvements as the war in Ukraine drags on into its fourth year.
“The goals of the special military operation will surely be realized,” he said, using the Kremlin’s terminology to describe Moscow’s full – scale invasion in 2022.
“We would rather achieve this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomatic channels. Nevertheless, if the opposing side and its foreign backers decline to engage in meaningful dialogue, Russia will liberate its historical lands by military force,” the Russian leader informed military officials, as per a transcript of the speech released by the government.
Putin also targeted Kyiv and its European allies for “stirring up hysteria” about Moscow while the Trump administration is working to end the war.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said last week that Russia might be prepared to use military force against the alliance within five years and urged members to increase defense spending and production so that their armed forces have the resources to safeguard their homelands.
According to a translated video of the remarks posted by Russian presidential envoy Kirill Dmitriev, Putin referred to European leaders as “piglets” during the Defense Ministry meeting.
This comment was part of a more extensive outburst against the West, with Putin accusing European governments of assisting Washington in an attempt to weaken and divide Russia.
“They were hoping to benefit from the collapse of our country. To regain something that was lost in previous historical eras and seek revenge,” Putin said. “As is now evident to everyone, all these attempts and all these destructive plans against Russia have completely failed.”
These remarks come as U.S., European, Russian, and Ukrainian officials are engaged in discussions regarding potential ways to end the war.
and his negotiating team met in Berlin on Sunday with Jared Kushner and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff to talk about security guarantees for Ukraine.
Witkoff and Kushner had a five – hour meeting in Moscow with Putin and top foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov in early December to work out the details of a revised peace proposal after the original leaked 28 – point draft faced criticism for being overly favorable to the Kremlin.
Ushakov said that the Russian side received four documents from the during the meeting, including one with 27 points, but he refused to elaborate on what they contained.