Putin confirms war continues unless Ukraine surrenders land

Vladimir Putin has firmly set his stall and refuses to budge from it. The war in Ukraine will go on and on unless or until Kyiv agrees to hand over the whole of the Donbas region in the east. The Russian president has not changed his strategy one iota in the face of desperate attempts by Kyiv, the US and Europe to find a formula for peace that would allow Ukraine to hang on to the land which Russian troops have failed to seize since the invasion in February 2022. Putin restated his position during a long press conference at the Kremlin, his annual session with the media where he outlines what he expects to happen in the next twelve months. It was a grim message for Kyiv and for his allies in the West, but not remotely surprising. Putin has remained consistent. What he wants is what he wants and he is never going to concede anything which fails to deliver exactly what he thinks is his right to demand. His invasion troops have taken control of around 75 per cent of Donbas which is split between Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. Putin wants the remainder ceded to Russia without a fight, with all Ukrainian troops withdrawing. Zelensky has said that can never happen. So Putin's press conference message is: "So be it, the war goes on." Putin is basically in charge and has defeated not only Zelensky and his courageous soldiers, but also the US, Donald Trump, the UK and the whole of Europe. No wonder he looks so pleased with himself. BUY FOR CHRISTMAS, AGENT REDRUTH, MY NEW SPY THRILLER, WHICH HAS A STRONG RUSSIAN THEME. CHECK IT OUT ON AMAZON.