Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday there would be no peace in Ukraine until the Kremlin realizes its goals, which remain unchanged after nearly two years of fighting that has sent tensions soaring between Moscow and the West.
Speaking at a year-end news conference that offered him an opportunity to reinforce his grip on power, Putin gave some rare details on what Moscow calls its “special military operation.”
He dismissed the need for a second wave of mobilization of reservists to fight in Ukraine — a move that has been deeply unpopular. He said there are some 617,000 Russian soldiers there, including around 244,000 troops who were called up to fight alongside professional military forces.
“There will be peace when we will achieve our goals,” Putin said, repeating a frequent Kremlin line. “Victory will be ours.”
There won’t be peace in Ukraine -or Russia- until Putin is dead.
I am afraid even Putin’s successor will be more or less the same warmonger. You know by now their whole political elite is so corrupted that I don’t see them giving up their privileges easily. And there is a pretty high chance for whoever is elected after him to continue his politics.
I’d rather roll the dice than endure a known supervillain. Best if the Russian people put Putin’s head on a pike themselves - send a loud and clear message to the next guy.