Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed his country's major battlefield gains in September on Thursday, saying Moscow is willing to end the Ukraine crisis through peaceful negotiations.
Speaking about Russia's special military operation (SMO) at the plenary session of the 23rd annual meeting of the Valdai Discussion Club in Moscow, Putin said that Russian forces' offensive is intensifying and that in September, Russian troops took control of 1,301 square kilometers within the SMO zone. Securing Ukraine's neutral status remains one of Russia's objectives, according to the president.
Russia hopes to bring the crisis to an end as soon as possible and is willing to engage in peace negotiations based on national interests, Putin said, blaming the Ukrainian side for halting negotiations and showing no willingness to cease its military operations.
Also on Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said at a regular press conference that Ukraine had not moved any closer to the negotiating table over the past year, accusing European countries of obstructing the resumption of negotiations. He said that most European countries have not sought to ease tensions but have instead decided to build their security identity based on the NATO model. They are accelerating efforts to raise defense spending to about 5 percent of their gross domestic product. However, this model is in fact a mechanism of confrontation, rather than one designed to ensure security.
Putin hails Russia's battlefield gains in Sept, says ready for negotiations
Putin hails Russia's battlefield gains in Sept, says ready for negotiations
