Putin predicts Donbas 'liberation' after missing multiple deadlines
Russian leader Vladimir Putin (photo: Getty Images)
Russia allegedly intends to capture the Donbas much faster than within a year and a half or two years, states Russian President Vladimir Putin during his speech at the plenary session of the Valdai Discussion Club.
During his address, the Russian leader expressed disagreement with the assessments of Ukrainian and European analysts regarding the timeline of hostilities in eastern Ukraine.
"Russia will 'liberate' the Donbas much sooner than in 1.5–2 years, as is believed in Ukraine and Europe," Putin stated.
Furthermore, he addressed the Ukrainian side with a cynical statement regarding territorial concessions: "If the loss of territories is inevitable, does it make sense to cling to them?"
According to data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), the Russian army has once again received a new deadline for the complete capture of the Donetsk region.
Despite orders from the Kremlin, the Russian military-political leadership has failed to meet any of the 15 previous schedules for advancement in eastern Ukraine since the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022.
In addition, the Russian president continues to make public manipulations regarding the course of hostilities.
In particular, Putin issued another portion of absurdity, claiming that Russia allegedly did not start the war and does not strike civilian targets first.
The Kremlin leader also rejected any attempts to reduce the intensity of shelling, calling the proposal for a mutual cessation of strikes between Ukraine and Russia absurd.
