Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, has stated that conflict with Ukraine was the “correct decision” and that it had become “inevitable.”
The war against Ukraine is already in its seventh week, and Russia has failed to achieve its initial goal of taking Kyiv, the country’s capital, and changing its leadership.
The Russian government has now stated that it intends to take control of the country’s eastern region, also known as the Donbass. According to Ukrainian authorities, Russian military have initiated attacks in the area in recent days.
On Tuesday, April 12, Putin stated alongside Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko that a conflict with Ukraine has become “inevitable” and that his invasion of Ukraine will achieve its “noble” goals.
Putin claimed that his forces are assisting oppressed people in separatist regions of Ukraine, and that he had no choice but to launch the invasion in order to protect the Russian-speaking Donbas region, during a public appearance marking the 61st anniversary of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first man in space.
“On the one hand, we are assisting and saving people, and on the other hand, we are just ensuring Russia’s security,” the 69-year-old insisted.
“We clearly didn’t have a choice in the matter. “It was the right decision,” he stated, adding that the objectives are “absolutely clear and noble.””
In addition, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that his country does not “want to be isolated,” claiming that it is “difficult to severely isolate anyone in the current world, let alone such a big country as Russia.”
He also referenced the Soviet space program’s success, contrasting Gagarin’s accomplishment during the Cold War with Russia’s current international isolation.
“The sanctions were absolute, the isolation was complete,” Putin remarked, “yet the Soviet Union was still first in space.”
Lukashenko also downplayed the significance of sanctions, asking Putin, “Why on earth are we getting so worked up over these sanctions?”