Russian President Vladimir Putin, during a regular meeting with the military, outlined a number of strategic tasks related to the fighting in Ukraine. He stressed that offensive operations to capture the city of Zaporizhzhia in the near future should not cease.
Putin, while listening to the report of the commander of the Dnipro group, Mikhail Teplinsky, openly stated that it is necessary to increase pressure in the Zaporizhzhia direction in cooperation with the Vostok group. According to him, this direction is of strategic importance for Russia, and the practice of "liberation" must be continued according to plan.
At the same time, the Russian leader outlined long-term tasks in the regions bordering Ukraine. In particular, work on creating a "safety zone" or "buffer zone" in the territories of the Sumy region and Kharkiv region should continue until 2026. It was noted that Putin had repeated such instructions several times before - in November and May.
These statements also resonated in the international political arena. On December 28, US President Donald Trump commented on Putin's position at a press conference following his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Trump said that the Russian president "confidently" stated his intention to stop the war.
"He spoke very convincingly, I believe him," the US leader said. At the same time, Trump assessed that it is "understandable" that the Russian side does not agree to an immediate ceasefire due to fears of a resurgence of hostilities in the future. He also mentioned that Moscow is ready to assist in Ukraine's reconstruction and supply cheap electricity.
According to Reuters, Putin strongly demanded that Russian troops not stop the campaign to take full control of the Zaporizhzhia region. At the moment, Russian troops are reportedly located approximately 15 kilometers from the city of Zaporizhzhia. Before the war, about 700 thousand people lived in this city.
It should be recalled that Moscow announced the annexation of the Zaporizhzhia region to Russia in 2022. However, this decision was not recognized by Ukraine and most countries of the world. Therefore, military and political tensions around this area may remain on the agenda for a long time.
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