In his first public comment on the matter, Vladimir Putin said that Ukraine’s recent counter-offensive will not change Russia’s plans.
Ukrainian forces say, in a rapid counter-attack, they captured over 8,000 sq km in the north-eastern Kharkiv region in six days. However, Putin said that the offensive in Ukraine’s Donbas region remains on track and he was not in a hurry. He also indicated that so far Russia had not deployed its full forces.
After a summit in Uzbekistan, Putin said that Russia’s offensive operation in Donbas is not stopping. Ukraine is moving forward, not at a very fast pace but they are slowly taking more and more territory. The focus of Russia’s invasion, which Putin falsely claims is vital to save Russian speakers from genocide is the Industrial Donbas region in east Ukraine.
Since 2014, parts of the Donbas region have been occupied by Russian-backed specialists. The Kharkiv region, where Ukraine’s recent counter-attack was launched, is not a part of Donbas. In his comments on Friday, Putin indicated and threatened a more serious response if Ukrainian attacks continue. He reminded us that the Russian army was not fighting in its entirety, only the professional army was fighting.
So far, Russia has not officially declared war on Ukraine and only refers to the invasion as a special military operation. However, after the recent losses of Russia, few pro-Kremlin commentators have called for the mobilization of more Russian forces.
On Friday, United States President Joe Biden reiterated his opinion on Russia to refrain from using chemical or tactical nuclear weapons. During an interview with CBS News, he said such an action would change the face of war unlike anything since the Second World War. Following its invasion of Ukraine in February, President Putin put the nuclear forces of the country on special alert. Putin has rarely left the country since then.
Putin’s visit to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in Uzbekistan and his meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping indicate and highlight his need to have ties with Asian countries after being sidelined by the West. However, leaders, there have expressed concern over the invasion.
