President Vladimir Putin has said that Russia’s military operations in Ukraine were going according to plan as it fights for the “denazification and demilitarisation” of the country.
“I want to say that the special military operation is proceeding strictly in line with the timetable. According to plan. All the tasks that have been set are being successfully resolved,” he said during a televised address on Thursday.
“Now on Ukrainian territory, our soldiers and officers are fighting for Russia, for a peaceful life for the citizens of Donbass, for the denazification and demilitarization of Ukraine, so that we can’t be threatened by an anti-Russia right on our borders that the West has been creating for years,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky today called on Putin to meet him for direct talks as his forces continue their relentless bombardment of key Ukrainian cities.
“Sit down with me to negotiate, just not at 30 meters,” he said Thursday, apparently referring to recent photos of Putin sitting at one end of an extremely long table.
“I don’t bite. What are you afraid of?” Mr Zelensky said at a news conference.
He said it would be sensible to have talks, adding: “Any words are more important than shots.”
