Ensuring the security of the Russian border regions is a top priority for Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said.

The president made the remarks on Friday when he visited the command headquarters of Russia’s joint troops participating in the special military operation against Ukraine. The president met top military commanders and officials, including the Russian chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov.

Securing the country’s border regions and creating a “buffer zone” within Ukraine remains one of the key priorities, the president said. The task is being carried out successfully by the country’s troops, he noted.

“Our goal is to ensure the ultimate security of Russia’s border regions for the future. And we do not seek to make this a subject of potential peace negotiations with Ukraine,” the president said.

The full liberation of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) is another key priority for Moscow, Putin stated. Currently, roughly 10% of the DPR remains under Ukrainian control, according to the president. In Zaporozhye Region, Kiev controls some 16.5% of the territory, albeit including the namesake capital city, he noted.

The Lugansk People’s Republic (LPR), which was fully liberated last year, remains under stable Russian control, the president noted.

The Russian military is set to continue its campaign of retaliatory long-range strikes against Kiev, Putin said. The campaign comes in response to the continuing attacks on “our industrial and oil and energy facilities,” he stressed.