Moscow: Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that there is no need for significant new attacks on Ukraine and that Russia has no desire to destroy the nation.
Putin said his call-up of Russian reservists would end in two weeks and there were no plans for further mobilization during a news conference after a summit in Kazakhstan.
Additionally, he reiterated the Kremlin's position that Russia was ready to hold talks, although he said that if Ukraine was willing to participate, they would require mediation by an outside party.
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When taken as a whole, Putin's remarks indicate little of his rhetoric as the war approaches the end of its eighth month, after several weeks of Ukrainian gains and massive Russian losses. Trading began with shares rising on Wall Street as investors experienced a easing of geopolitical tensions.
However, Putin, who has said he would be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia's "territorial integrity", also warned of a "global catastrophe" in the event of a direct conflict between NATO forces and Russia.
He made his remarks a week after Russia launched its most powerful missile strikes on Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities since the start of its offensive on 24 February.
According to Putin, this was in retaliation for an attack that damaged a Russian bridge leading to unilaterally occupied Crimea. "We do not make it our mission to destroy Ukraine. Absolutely not," replied Putin.
He claimed that most of the designated targets had already been hit, so "mass strikes" were no longer necessary.
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Even devoted Kremlin allies have criticized the shortcomings of Putin's generals and the disorganized nature of mobilization, putting him in the deepest crisis of his 22 years as Russia's paramount leader.
Asked if he had any regrets, he replied "no," adding that keeping quiet in Ukraine would have been far worse.
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"Let me be clear: While today's events are unpleasant, to put it mildly, we would have received the same result a little later, albeit in less favorable circumstances for us. As a result, we are acting appropriately and quickly. .