Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a video meeting with teachers that Russia has great respect for the Ukrainian people, Reuters reports.
– We always, and even today, despite the current tragedy, we have great respect for the Ukrainian people, Ukrainian culture, language and literature, he said.
Putin also says he signed a decree with “corrections” to the mobilization order signed on September 21, the news agency wrote.
– It will stabilize
Pointing to the four annexed regions of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhya of Ukraine, Putin said he expected the situation to stabilize.
Reuters writes that this is an indirect recognition of the challenges the Russians face to assert control.
– We start from the fact that the situation will be stabilized and we will be able to develop these territories calmly, he said.
Earlier, a Russian spokesperson said that the four regions are facing an intense process of adjustment and that it will be difficult.
He suffered several defeats
Putin signed the law on Wednesday completing the annexation of the regions. To date, Russia only controls parts of the territory of the four Ukrainian counties in question.
Russian forces have also suffered significant losses in two of the four regions since Friday, when Putin signed the decrees to incorporate the regions into Russia.
Putin says he expects the setbacks to be temporary.
