Ultimate goal to 'liberate Donbas', NATO expansion 'no problem' for Russia: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin has made some remarks on Wednesday about the ongoing "special military operation" in Ukraine, saying that the goals of the country are unchanged, but there can be different tactics.

"Russian troops are advancing in Ukraine and reaching their objectives."

The ultimate goal is to "liberate Donbas" and to get security guarantees, Interfax quoted him as saying.

"There is no use in setting an end date to the special military operation in Ukraine," he added.

Commenting also on the strike against the Ukrainian shopping center, he said that Russia "does not hit civilian targets."

"NO PROBLEM"

Russia has "no problem" if Finland and Sweden join NATO, President Vladimir Putin also said on Wednesday.

"We don't have problems with Sweden and Finland as we do with Ukraine," Putin told a news conference in the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat. "If Finland and Sweden wish to, they can join. That's up to them. They can join whatever they want."

Putin added that Russia would respond in kind if NATO set up infrastructure in Finland and Sweden after they join the U.S.-led military alliance.

Putin was quoted separately by Russian news agencies as saying he could not rule out that tensions would emerge in Moscow's relations with Helsinki and Stockholm over their joining NATO.

Putin's comment came a day after NATO ally Turkiye lifted its veto over Finland and Sweden's bid to join the alliance after the three nations agreed to protect each other's security.

"IMPERIAL AMBITIONS"

Putin also condemned NATO's "imperial ambitions", accusing the alliance of seeking to assert its "supremacy" through the Ukraine conflict.

"Ukraine and the wellbeing of Ukrainian people is not the aim of the collective West and NATO but a means to defend their own interests," Putin told journalists in the Turkmenistan capital of Ashgabat.

"The NATO countries' leaders wish to... assert their supremacy, their imperial ambitions," he added.