Putin remains confident of victoryImage: keystone
June 29, 2026, 12:18 amJune 29, 2026, 12:24 am
Despite significant setbacks by his troops on the fronts in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin remains confident of victory. The Russian army will continue to do everything possible to implement the goals of the special operation, as the war of aggression against Ukraine is officially called in Moscow, Putin emphasized in an interview with Russian state television correspondent Pavel Zarubin.
Putin justified his optimism, among other things, with a “catastrophic shortage of personnel” in the Ukrainian armed forces. He claimed that a proposal had been made to Russian forces to limit hostilities to four areas in eastern Ukraine. This would give Kiev the opportunity to transfer troops from other areas to these regions. “But saving the Kiev regime is not part of our plans.”
In his view, the West continues to strive to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia. “There are a few isolated rumors that this is no longer being pursued, but officially no one has removed this thesis from the agenda,” said Putin. “But why do they need the cessation of hostilities and the peace negotiations that they are talking about more and more often and in which they want to take part?”
Putin has so far rejected any peaceful solution and the path to possible peace talks. An offer from Kiev for a direct conversation between Putin and Ukrainian head of state Volodymyr Zelensky was also rejected. Instead, Moscow insists on its maximum demands, which include complete control over Donbass. (sda/dpa)