‘Good luck with that’: Putin talks about Ukraine counteroffensive

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made several statements about the war in Ukraine during the press conference following the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, livestreamed by RBC.

“They announced that they wouldn’t pursue any agreements and will pursue a victory on the battlefield instead. Well, good luck with that. This is what they’re trying to do now by holding this counteroffensive. Let’s see how it ends,” Putin said, quoted by Russian state news agency TASS.

He added that the offensive in Donbas continues despite “all these attempts by the Ukrainian army to stage a counteroffensive”.

“They are moving at a slow pace, but systematically and gradually. The Russian army is taking ever more territories step by step,” Putin stated. He added that the “main goal” of the so-called special military operation “remains unchanged and is being implemented”.

Putin also commented on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s statement in which he said that he is not ready for talks with Russia.

“If he’s not ready, so be it,” Putin said.

Moreover, he stated that Moscow responds “with restraint” to “the attempts to hold some kind of terrorist attacks, attempts to damage civilian infrastructure”, but only “for the time being”.