Putin's strategy a complete fiasco - Poroshenko

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has said he is convinced that the strategy of the Russian president's policy is now a complete fiasco.

He stated this in an interview with the ZIK television channel.

"Putin's strategy is now turning into a complete fiasco - he has no allies in the world, he regrets very much that he has lost the church, he has a deep economic crisis. He cannot and will not explain to anyone why it was done when Ukraine was a friendly neighboring state," Poroshenko said.

At the same time, Poroshenko said that Putin's plans included a military scenario for the return of the Donbas, but added that Ukraine would not allow this.

"According to sociological surveys, over 60% of Ukrainians want the territories to be returned in a political and democratic manner. Only 11% of Ukrainians propose filling Donbas with blood and starting a military operation. I categorically disagree with this scenario. I will not allow repeating in Donbas the scenario with Grozny, when the city was destroyed and hundreds of thousands were killed. Why? Because these are Ukrainians, these are our citizens, this is what Putin wants, and this is a gift that we will never present to him," he said.

Poroshenko also noted that most Ukrainians are against "peace on the conditions of capitulation" and noted that it is global solidarity with Ukraine that helps strengthen sanctions against Russia and motivates Putin to return to the negotiating table in order to accept and fulfill commitments under the Minsk agreements.

According to him, after the withdrawal of Russian occupation troops the currently temporarily occupied territories will return to Ukraine very quickly and exclusively politically and diplomatically.

op