President Putin Calls Ukraine's Retaliatory Attack On The Battlefield A Failure

Russian President Vladimir Putin. (Source: Kremlin)

JAKARTA - Russian President Vladimir Putin said Ukraine's retaliatory attacks on the battlefield failed, with Kyiv could suffer an "irreparable blow" if the war pattern continued, while on the other hand Moscow would never be forced to leave the profits it had made.

President Putin made his televised comments the day after Switzerland agreed to host a global meeting at the request of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Kremlin leader rejected what he called the peace formula under discussion by the West and Ukraine, with what he called "very high demands".

"Well, if they don't want (to negotiate), there will be no negotiations!" President Putin stressed, as reported by Reuters on January 17.

"Now it's pretty clear, not only did the (Ukraine) retaliatory attack fail, but the initiative was entirely in the hands of the Russian armed forces. If this continues, the Ukrainian state may suffer an irreparable and very serious blow," President Putin said.

President Putin's remarks about the course of war have become increasingly confident and aggressive in recent months, with the failure of Ukraine's retaliatory attacks providing substantial benefits to Russian troops.

It is known, Russia currently controls about 17.5 percent of Ukraine.

President Putin said talks on negotiations were "an attempt to motivate us to abandon the advantages we have achieved over the past year and a half. However, this is impossible. Everyone understands that this is impossible."

The peace formula proposed by President Zelensky calls for a restoration of Ukraine's territorial integrity, a halt to hostilities and withdrawal of Russian troops, among other points.

Russia itself said any negotiations should consider the "new reality" created by its troops on the ground.

Moscow also stressed that every negotiation must consider the "new reality" reached by its troops on the battlefield.