Russian troops never intended to capture Kiev – Putin

Moscow’s forces approached the Ukrainian capital only to persuade Vladimir Zelensky’s government to engage in talks, the president has said

Russian forces did not plan to storm Kiev when they advanced towards the Ukrainian capital in the first weeks of the conflict with Moscow, President Vladimir Putin has said.

There is continued “speculation” in Ukraine and the West about the intentions of Russian units when they reached the outskirts of Kiev in late February 2022, Putin said during a meeting with his country’s top diplomats on Friday.

“But there was no political decision to storm the city of 3 million, no matter what anyone says due to their lack of thought,” Putin insisted.

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