Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed on Wednesday that the military operation in Ukraine will continue until its conclusion, emphasizing the exhaustion of all diplomatic methods to protect the national security of his country. In a speech about the military operation, the Russian president stated that Ukraine, with the support of Western powers, planned to launch aggression against Russia, highlighting that Ukraine cannot be allowed to become a front used in the war against Russia.
Putin also pointed out that there was no option to protect Russian national security other than attacking Ukraine, and that the West uses the military operation in Ukraine as an excuse to impose sanctions on Russia.
**Inflation and Unemployment Levels**
Putin revealed that his country will witness an increase in inflation and unemployment, adding, "We will deal with those issues." He stated that Russia is not seeking to occupy Ukraine but to assist the residents of Donbas, accusing the authorities in Kyiv of spreading lies and continuing to shell Donetsk.
In his speech on Wednesday, Putin said that "NATO" has continued to advance to our borders and left Russia with no choice but to launch a military operation for its protection, stressing that Ukraine cannot be allowed to turn into a front that threatens our security and waging war against us. Putin affirmed that his country insists on Ukraine’s neutrality and disarmament, adding, "We will continue negotiations with Ukraine to reach a solution that protects our citizens." He noted that sanctions have raised prices in Russia, but Russian companies have mitigated that impact.
Putin urged the Russian government to work on reducing the effects of Western sanctions, while stressing that "the West is trying to impose its economic model on countries around the world."
**Meeting with Zelensky**
On Wednesday, Russia set a condition for a meeting between President Vladimir Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky. Moscow stated that there are no obstacles preventing the meeting between the two presidents, but such a meeting will only take place to reach a specific agreement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov explained to reporters, "There are no obstacles preventing such a meeting, knowing that it will not be just a meeting in itself, but specific agreements will have to be concluded during this meeting, which are currently being prepared by the delegations."
Delegations from both countries are negotiating to reach a ceasefire. Russia began its military operation in Ukraine on February 24 and has set conditions for halting it.
