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Russian president Vladimir Putin has claimed his country has not and will not “lose anything” from its war in Ukraine.
Speaking in Vladivostok on Wednesday, the 69-year-old ignored the heavy death toll the Russian army is thought to have suffered since the start of the invasion on 24 February.
Although Mr Putin conceded that the war had caused “certain polarization, both in the world and within the country”, he was adamant that it was justified to increase Russian “sovereignty”.
The Russian leader also used his speech to criticise Western sanctions, describing them as a futile attempt to hold Russia in check.
It would be “impossible” to isolate Moscow, as the Kremlin can turn to new opportunities in the Middle East and Iran, he said.
His comments come after Western analysts called the Kremlin “desperate” for wanting to buy thousands of rockets from North Korea. The reported purchases show Russia is struggling with military supplies in Ukraine, they said.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian army has launched a number of counterattacks against Russian positions in south, east and northeast Ukraine.
