MOSCOW, June 16. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in his speech at the St. Petersburg Economic Forum (SPIEF), pointed out how Russia had not deviated from its goals and objectives in the special military operation in Ukraine, Valdai International Discussion Club Program Director Timofey Bordachev opined in a conversation with TASS on Friday.

"The most important takeaway is that Russia's policy remains consistent with regard to the goals and tasks to achieve these goals. There are no changes in those goals that were declared and with moving towards these goals," the expert said.

The actions of the Kiev regime and the countries of the collective West "have not been able to affect Russia’s goals and objectives in any way in the past year-and-a-half," he stressed. According to him, Russia will defend its interests no matter what. "The pace may be different, the efforts may be different, but the strategy and the general line remain," he explained. "Either in negotiations or outside of negotiations - Russia has never given up on a negotiated solution," Bordachev added.

"We outlined our position in December 2021, which was then relayed to Western countries, including with regard to the situation in Ukraine itself," he summed up.

On Friday, Putin, speaking about the goals and tasks of the special military operation, reiterated that Russia had set itself "certain tasks related to the denazification of these territories, related to demilitarization." Moscow was forced to use the army and help Donbass "in an attempt to stop this armed confrontation," the president stressed. The West, blaming Russia for unleashing the conflict in Ukraine, is trying to shift the blame, Putin stressed.