Nearly eight months into his war against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin appears to be striking a softer tone, saying he sees no need for continued massive air strikes and that a mobilization of troops to support his military operation will end in two weeks.
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Speaking to journalists in Kazakhstan's capital, Astana, on October 14, Putin said that Russia was willing to hold talks on ending the war, although they would need to be held with an international mediator if Ukraine comes to the table as well.
Putin -- who has said he would be ready to use nuclear weapons to defend Russia's "territorial integrity" -- also warned of a "global catastrophe" in the event of a direct clash between NATO troops and Russia. Still, he said he sees no need for talks with U.S. President Joe Biden at the present time.
There is "no need for massive strikes" now because most of the designated targets have been hit and "we have not set ourselves the task of destroying Ukraine," Putin said after attending a summit of leaders from the former Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in the Kazakh capital.
Putin's comments come during a week when Russia has launched a barrage of missiles and rockets across Ukraine, battering major cities, including the capital, Kyiv.
They also come as Ukraine regains control of major swathes of territory with Russian troops in retreat.
Despite Russia's faltering invasion, launched in late February, Putin said he had no regrets over the "unpleasant" conflict that calls a "special military operation."
“What is happening today is unpleasant, to put it mildly,” he said after attending a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States. “But we would have had all this a little later, only under worse conditions for us, that’s all. So my actions are correct and timely.”
Putin said that of 300,000 conscripts mobilized in the Kremlin's latest military call-up, 222,000 are currently in units that form troops, while 16,000 are "currently carrying out military tasks."
"I think, in about two weeks, all mobilization measures will be over," Putin said.
Putin ordered the mobilization three weeks ago after Russian defeats on the battlefield escalated.
Vyacheslav Gimadi, an attorney for jailed Russian politician Aleksei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, expressed skepticism over Putin's statement.
“Do not believe Putin about ‘two weeks.’ Mobilization can only be canceled by his decree. No decree -- no cancellation,” he said on Facebook.