Given the pace of the Russian offensive in Donbas, Moscow's interest in the withdrawal of Ukrainian armed forces from these territories has been “reduced to zero“, Vladimir Putin said at a meeting at the command post of the United Group of Forces.
“Today, judging by your reports, judging by the pace that we observe along the line of contact, our interest in the withdrawal of Ukrainian military formations from the territories they occupied has actually been reduced to zero for a number of reasons“, the Russian president said, quoted by TASS.
Russia will solve all the goals of the military operation by force of arms if Ukraine does not want a peaceful resolution, Putin stressed.
“We see that intelligent people have also appeared in the West who recommend that the authorities in Kiev accept "decent conditions for ending the conflict and offer good fundamental conditions for ensuring Ukraine's security in the long term," he added.
This evening, Putin was informed by the president about the capture of Dimitrov (Ukrainian name: Mirnograd), Artemovka and Rodinsko in the DPR, as well as Gulyaipole and Stepnogorsk in Zaporizhia Oblast.
Putin visited the command post of the Joint Group of Forces and listened to a report from the Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov.
Gulyaipole is a city in Polokhovsky District of Zaporizhia Oblast, 99 km southeast of the regional center, 130 km from Berdyansk and 650 km from Kiev.
Dimitrov (Ukrainian name: Mirnograd) is a city in western Donbas, in Pokrovsky District. It is considered an eastern suburb of Pokrovsk (Krasnoarmeysk). It is located 50 km from Donetsk. Gerasimov reported to Putin about the capture of Krasnoarmeysk on December 1.
The president was also informed about the capture of Rodinske and Artemovka in the DPR and Stepnogorsk in the Zaporizhia region. According to Putin, the offensive in the Zaporizhia region is taking place “on the shoulders of the enemy“.
In June 2024, Putin announced Moscow's terms for a ceasefire, which included the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donbass, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions. Moscow also demanded recognition of these regions and Crimea as part of Russia.