Kremlin slams discussions on possibility of Ukraine's victory in conflict ‘absurd’

Ukraine should have realized long ago that it is absurd to even talk about the possibility of its victory on the battlefield, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"The Kiev regime should have realized long ago that it is absurd to even talk about any prospects of the Kiev regime's victory on the battlefield. And the sooner the Kiev regime itself realizes this, the sooner some prospects will open up," the Kremlin spokesman said.

The spokesman disagreed with the words of Ukrainian top military commander Valery Zaluzhny that the conflict around the country has reached a stalemate. The top Ukrainian defense official had earlier mentioned this in connection with the Ukrainian troops' inability to achieve a breakthrough on the front.

"No, it has not reached a stalemate. Russia is consistently carrying out the special military operation. All the set goals should be fulfilled," Peskov pointed out.

On Wednesday, Zaluzhny said in an interview with the Economist that the conflict with Russia has reached a "stalemate," adding that, according to NATO’s "text books" and the plans for the counteroffensive, "four months should have been enough time for us to have reached Crimea, to have fought in Crimea, to return from Crimea and to have gone back in and out again."