Russia President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that peace was possible with Ukraine only after Moscow achieved its goals in the nearly two-year conflict.
“There will be peace when we achieve our goals. They are not changing. I will remind you what we talked about — the de-nazification and de-militarisation of Ukraine and its neutral status,” he said during his press conference in Moscow.
When Putin launching his troops on Ukraine in February 2022, he requested the “de-nazification” of its pro-Western neighbour, a loosely defined term that survivors of the Holocaust have condemned.
He also demanded the “de-militarisation” of Ukraine, which was fending off Russia’s assault.
“As for de-militarisation, they don’t want to negotiate, so we are then forced to take other measures, including military measures,” Putin said.
He also said that the sides “agreed on this during the talks in Istanbul” but that Ukraine subsequently disavowed the agreements.
“Either we agree or we need to resolve (the issue) by force,” he said.
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