Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he wants the war in Ukraine to end “as soon as possible” after nearly 10 months of intense fighting with Kiev’s military, AFP reported.

“We’re going to try to make sure it’s over. And the earlier, of course, the better,” the head of the Kremlin said at a press conference.

The efforts of the Russian military in Ukraine are now focused on capturing the entire Donetsk region in the east of the country, Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Federation Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday.

“The situation on the front line has stabilized, the main efforts of our troops are focused on completing the liberation of the territory of the DPR,” Gerasimov said, according to Russian news agencies, citing AFP.

On Thursday, Russia said that deliveries of American Patriot missile systems to Ukraine, announced during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi to Washington, will not help resolve the conflict and will not prevent Moscow from achieving its goals.

• the news is updated