MOSCOW, December 7. /TASS/: The special military operation is a long process, but it has already yielded significant results, Russian President Vladimir Putin said at a meeting with members of the Council for the Development of Civil Society and Human Rights (HRC) on Wednesday.
"As for the results of the special military operation, some of them may manifest themselves only after a long while. New territories have appeared. This is a significant result for Russia. These are serious questions. Take the Sea of Azov, which has become Russia’s inland sea. That’s very serious," he said.
Putin recalled that even Peter the Great in his day fought for access the Sea of Azov. The most important thing, though, is the people who live in all these territories, he said.
"The results of the referendum showed that the people want to be in Russia and consider themselves part of this world, part of this space, and our common culture, traditions, and language. This is the most important result. Now they are with us. There millions of such people. This is the most important thing," Putin stressed.
