Russia has lost nothing as a result of special operation in Ukraine — Putin
The Russian president described the special operation in Ukraine is a proportionate response to what had been happening there for several years
VLADIVOSTOK, September 7. /TASS/. Russia has lost nothing and will lose nothing as a result of the special military operation in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the plenary session of the Eastern Economic Forum on Wednesday.
"I believe that we have lost nothing and will lose nothing. And from the standpoint of gains, I can say that our main gain is stronger sovereignty. This is an inevitable result of what is going on," he stressed.
Russia was not the one who started hostilities in Ukraine, and currently it is trying to end them, Putin stressed.
"I would like to emphasize once again that we have not started anything in terms of military operations. We are only trying to end the hostilities that began in 2014 after a coup d'·tat in Ukraine by those who did not want normal, peaceful development and who cracked down on their own people," he said.
He described the special operation in Ukraine is a proportionate response to what had been happening there for several years.
"We did it consciously. All our actions are aimed at helping the people in Donbass. This is our duty, and we will fulfill it to the end," Putin stressed.
He pointed out that the polarization afoot in Russia and in the world against the background of the special military operation would yield certain benefits, for it will allow us to discard "everything that prevents us from moving forward."
"A certain polarization is taking place both in the world and within the country. I believe that this will bring about certain benefits, because everything that is unnecessary, harmful and everything that prevents us from moving forward will be renounced. We will gain momentum and the pace of development," Putin said.
At the same time, while responding to the moderator’s remark he did not mention Ukraine in his speech, Putin noted that that country was located outside the Asia-Pacific Region.
"Does that country belong to the Asia-Pacific Region? In my opinion, no. We are discussing, first of all, the issues of the region, we are in the Far East of Russia," he said.