It hasn’t been a good month for Russia’s President on the battlefield and I don’t think you can trust anything said by a leader at war but here are his comments:
- Main goal is to liberate Donbas region
- We are not in a hurry
- Russian army gradually takes up new territories
- No need to change plan
The 'main goal’ talk is certainly a downgrade from the bluster at the start of the war. But I do note that the 'not in a hurry’ portion is notable because Putin can point to the pain the energy trade is inflicting on Europe as a win.