Putin threatens to take ODESA if the annexed Ukrainian regions are not recognized as Russian

This was what Putin told the journalist of the Kommersant newspaper, Andréi Kolésnikovin statements within the framework of the Conference of the Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs, shortly before its telephone conversation with its American counterpart, Donald Trump.

“kyiv had from the beginning the opportunity to get ahead with little bloodscreen and avoid special military operation,” launched by Moscow in February 2022, says the Russian president in that interview.

To do this, in his words, “you had to have simply listened to Vladimir Putin and have started talking. First about the recognition of Crimea – as Russian territory – then it was clear that they did not want to talk about the recognition of the autonomy of Lugansk and Donetsk. Finally, they also refused to recognize the regions of Jersón and Zaporiyia as part of Russia ».

«And, the more the point at which it was possible to stop Russia’s progress was away, there were less possibilities to reach an agreement. And in the end it turned out that it was impossible at all to stop the progress – of Russia – that is, how it is happening now when the Ukrainians do not have time to entrust, ”Putin told Kolésnikov, according to the material published Wednesday by Kommersant.

Now, the Russian president believes that what was occupied in Ukraine “cannot be taken from Russia.” And, if the United States and Ukraine admit it, “Russia will not claim ODESA or other territories that now belong to Ukraine (…) But this situation can also change,” according to Kolésnikov, if Ukraine continues to refuse to give in the occupied territories.

In June of last year, the Kremlin chief already warned that, to initiate a peace process, kyiv must not only recognize the already occupied territories as Russians, but even withdraw his troops from the part of Donetsk, Lugansk, Jersón and Zaporiyia that he still maintains under his control.