Putin vows to achieve ‘all goals’ in Ukraine

MOSCOW – Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that all goals of the country’s “special military operation” in Ukraine will be achieved.

Speaking ahead of the meeting with Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko, Putin said a clash between Russia and Ukraine was inevitable because the West was turning Ukraine into an anti-Russia base.

“Ukraine was turning into an anti-Russian foothold, the sprouts of nationalism and neo-Nazism were carefully grown there, the sprouts that had been there for a long time.

“The neo-Nazism was specially grown, and Russia’s clash with these forces was inevitable, they only were choosing the time to attack,” he said.

Putin praised the actions of the Russian army saying the servicemen are fighting “courageously and competently.”

“There is no doubt that the Russian Armed Forces will achieve their goals. The goals are absolutely clear, they are noble. Our main goal is to help people in Donbas, which we recognized. We had to do it because the Kiev authorities, pushed by the West, refused to implement the Minsk agreements aimed at a peaceful solution to the problems of Donbas,” he said.