President Putin Asserts Russia Will Achieve War Goals in Ukraine with Diplomacy or Military

President Putin during a visit to the command post of the Western Group of the Russian military. (Source: Kremlin)

JAKARTA - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Russia would achieve its goals in Ukraine through diplomatic or military means, and would seek to expand a "security buffer zone" there.

"First, the goal of the special military operation will definitely be achieved. We prefer to do this and address the root causes of the conflict through diplomacy," explained President Putin, launching Al Arabiya from Reuters (18/12).

"If the opposing side and their foreign supporters refuse to engage in substantive discussions, Russia will achieve the liberation of its historic lands by military means. The task of creating and expanding the security buffer zone will also continue," he said.

From the territory of Ukraine that Russia claims as its own, Russia currently controls Crimea, about 90 percent of Donbas and 75 percent of Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.

In addition, Russia controls several regions in the adjacent region, namely Kharkiv, Sumy, Dnipropetrovsk, and Mykolaiv.

President Putin's comments signaled Moscow would seek to gain further advantage on several of these fronts.

With the war at a critical point as US President Donald Trump pushes hard for a quick peace deal, President Putin said Russia was advancing on all fronts.

Meanwhile, Russian Defense Minister Andrei Belousov acknowledged that Ukrainian forces were trying to regain control of the city of Kupiansk in the northeast - an effort he said was unsuccessful.

Separately, Ukraine said on Wednesday it had seized 90 percent of the city, which Russia says it captured in November.

President Putin said people in Europe were being indoctrinated with fear of war with Russia, accusing their leaders of whipping up hysteria.

"I have repeatedly stated: this is a lie, nonsense, sheer nonsense about the imaginary Russian threat to European countries. But this is done on purpose," he said.

President Putin said Russia was not seeking war with Europe, but was ready to fight if that was the European choice.