Vladimir Putin and one of his top supporters Sergei Markov

One of Vladimir Putin’s allies claimed Moscow is “liberating” Russians from Ukraine with the ongoing conflict.

Sergei Markov, a former adviser to the Russian president, tried to defend Putin’s three-year war by saying the invasion is not about “territory” but “stopping political repression”.

Putin currently controls a fifth of Ukrainian land – Kherson, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea.

Since invading in February 2022, he has repeatedly repressed any domestic opposition to his war, tightened his hold on the Russian media and removed any feasible political opponents to maintain his authoritarian grip on the country.

And, even though Donald Trump’s administration supports the idea of ending the conflict on Putin’s terms – including giving occupied land to Ukraine – the Kremlin has refused to end its bombardments of its neighbour.

Speaking on Times Radio, Markov insisted: “The main Russian demand, it is not territory.

“Russian sent troops to Ukraine not to take territory but to liberate all Russians........

© HuffPost