Moscow has enough forces to complete Kyiv campaign for lasting peace: Putin

Moscow: Even without the use of nuclear weapons, Russia has ample forces to complete its Ukraine campaign and achieve its set goals, President Vladimir Putin has said in an interview to State TV’s Kremlin correspondent.

“Several attempts were made to force us to make this mistake (the use of nuclear weapons) but we have ample force to achieve objectives without this option.

“The objectives are about the elimination of the original causes of this crisis, the formation of conditions for the long-lasting and sustainable peace and the provision of security to Russia,” he said in the interview which will be telecast on Sunday night.

In February 2022, Putin had described the “denazification and demilitarisation of the former Soviet republic and its neutral status”.

Long-lasting peace and protection of rights of the Russian-speaking population in Ukraine must be the core result of Russia’s special military operation, Putin aid in the interview.

Putin has repeatedly called for resolving the Ukraine conflict, highlighting the need to take Russia’s interests into account when addressing the root causes of the crisis.