Putin Says He Wants Peace in Ukraine But on Russian Terms
Vladimir Putin visits the Central Vishnevsky Military Clinic in Moscow on Jan. 1.
Photographer: Kristina Kormilitsyna/AFP/Getty Images
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President Vladimir Putin said Russia doesn’t want to fight “endlessly” in Ukraine but won’t give up its positions and is ready for peace only on its own terms.
Speaking in televised comments on Monday during a visit to a military hospital, Putin said he’s satisfied with the Russian army’s performance in Ukraine as it’s now holding the strategic initiative on the front, while the opponent is “gradually deflating.” Russia is currently occupying about a fifth of Ukraine’s territory.