Vladimir Putin acknowledges Russia's war in Ukraine is taking longer than he expected

Posted By TheNewsCommenter: From Npr.org: “Vladimir Putin acknowledges Russia's war in Ukraine is taking longer than he expected”. Below is an excerpt from the article.

The roots of Russia's invasion of Ukraine go back decades and run deep. The current conflict is more than one country taking over another; it is — in the words of one U.S. official — a shift in "the world order."Here are some helpful resources to make sense of it all.

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during the annual meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights via videoconference in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022. Mikhail Metzel/AP hide caption

Russian President Vladimir Putin gestures while speaking during the annual meeting of the Presidential Council for Civil Society and Human Rights via videoconference in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2022.

KYIV, Ukraine — Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged Wednesday that his "special military operation" in Ukraine is taking longer than expected but said it has succeeded in seizing new territory and added that his country's nuclear weapons are deterring escalation of the conflict.

"Of course, it could be a lengthy process," Putin said of the more than 9-month-old war that began with Russia's invasion Feb. 24 and has displaced millions from their homes, and killed and wounded tens of thousands. Despite its length, he showed no signs of letting up, vowing to "consistently fight for our interests" and to "protect ourselves using all means available." He reiterated his claim that he had no choice but to send in troops, saying that for years, the West responded to Russia's security demands with "only spit in the face."

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