Russia hasn't even really gotten started in Ukraine, Kremlin boss Putin clarifies. His spokesman clarified the threat a day later so that everyone would understand: Russia's potential is so "huge" that only "an insignificant part of it" is currently being used.
After more than four months of war in Ukraine, Russia has described its military potential as "huge" and again threatened the invaded country with it. At the moment, only an "insignificant part" of the potential is being used, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, according to the Interfax agency. Peskov thus reiterated statements by Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin from the previous day that Russia had not even really got started in Ukraine.
The Russian President had also reacted belligerently to statements by Western politicians that the decision should be played out on the battlefield in Ukraine. "Russia's potential is so huge that only an insignificant part of it is now used in military special operations," Peskov said after months of attacks on dozens of Ukrainian cities.
Russia has long criticized the West's supply of heavy weapons to Ukraine as an artificial prolongation of the war. Western experts assume, however, that Russia's military power has been significantly weakened due to high losses. At a meeting with senior representatives of the Russian parliament on Thursday, Putin said: "Today we hear that they want to beat us on the battlefield. What can you say about that? Let them just try."
The Kremlin chief once again emphasized that all the goals of the "military operation" would be achieved - "without a doubt". "Everyone should know that by and large we haven't started anything serious yet. At the same time, we're not opposed to peace negotiations either. But those who don't should know that it will become more difficult to negotiate with us the longer it goes on going," he said. Putin again accused the West of wanting to fight "to the last Ukrainian." "This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people."
Among other things, Russia is demanding that Ukraine give up areas for a solution to the conflict. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, on the other hand, wants to use heavy Western weapons to bring back the areas occupied by Russia. He also wants to reintegrate the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, into Ukraine.
