US State Department calls on Putin to withdraw troops from Ukraine, after recognizing "special operation" as a war

The United States on Friday called on Russian President Vladimir Putin to acknowledge reality and withdraw troops from Ukraine after he finally called the “special military operation” a "war."

"Since February 24, the US and the rest of the world have known that Putin's "special military operation" is an unprovoked and unjustified war against Ukraine. Finally, after 300 days of war, Putin has called the war what it is. As the next step towards acknowledging reality, we urge him to end this war by withdrawing his forces from Ukraine," Agence France-Presse quoted a representative of the US State Department.

The fact that Putin uttered the word "war" was also noticed by many of his critics in Russia, but it is at least premature to consider it a step towards "recognition of reality". He believes, and has repeatedly said so, that "war" began in 2014.

"All this began in 2014 after a coup d'état provoked by the same United States, when pies were distributed on Maidan. I have already spoken about this many times," he said. "But our goal is not to spin this flywheel of military conflict, but, on the contrary, to end this war: we strive for it and will strive for it," the Russian leader said.

Thesis that Russia supposedly "doesn't start wars, but ends them", his propaganda machine began to promote back in February and March.

Even if the realities of Putin and those who die under his bombs coincide, it will not help to save the lives of Ukrainians and Russians, the US State Department said.

"The people of Ukraine no doubt find little consolation in Putin stating the obvious, nor do the tens of thousands of Russian families whose relatives have been killed fighting Putin's war," spokesperson of the US State Department said.

• On December 22, during a meeting with propagandists, Putin stated that Russia seeks to end war in Ukraine as soon as possible, using this definition for the first time in relation to "special operation".

• On the same day, an opposition MP from St. Petersburg sued Putin for calling  "special operation" a war.