Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would continue its military offensive in Ukraine until it takes full control of the four regions that Moscow claims to have annexed, rejecting a proposal from Kiev for a partial de-escalation of the conflict.
In an interview with Russian state television, Putin said Ukraine had proposed a mutual suspension of long-range strikes, but according to him this is only intended to give Ukrainian forces time to regroup.
"It is clear why this proposal is being made, because our retaliation deep inside Ukrainian territory is much stronger, has a greater impact and is more destructive," he said.
Putin stated that Russia's objective remains the "complete liberation" of the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhia and Kherson regions, which Moscow declared annexed in 2022, although it does not fully control them.
The Russian president also acknowledged that Ukrainian drone attacks on Russian energy infrastructure have caused fuel shortages in some regions, confirming that the government is taking measures to deal with the situation. However, he insisted that these attacks have not affected military operations on the front lines.
On the diplomatic front, Putin said Moscow expects to resume contacts with the United States once tensions in the Middle East ease and did not rule out new meetings with American envoys. He added that several scenarios for ending the war were discussed during previous contacts, but without reaching an agreement.
The Russian president once again rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's request for a direct meeting, describing such a meeting as unnecessary under the current conditions.
