LONDON, 12 April (Reuters)- President Vladimir Putin defended Russia's assault on Ukraine in a rare public appearance on Tuesday (Apr 12), the first time he has addressed the conflict since Moscow withdrew its forces from northern Ukraine after they were halted at the gates of Kyiv.

State television showed Putin visiting the Vostochny space base in Russia's Far East, accompanied by his ally, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, to mark the anniversary of the Soviet success in launching the first manned space flight.

Asked by Russian space agency workers if the operation in Ukraine would achieve its goals, Putin said: "Absolutely. I don't have any doubt at all."
"Its goals are absolutely clear and noble," Putin said. "We didn't have a choice. It was the right decision."

Putin said Russia's main aims were to protect the Russian-speaking people of Donbas in eastern Ukraine and to end Ukraine's position as a centre of nationalistic anti-Russian feeling.

Putin, who had been ubiquitous on Russian television in the early days of the war, had largely retreated from public view since Moscow pulled its forces out of northern Ukraine this month.

His only public appearance in the past week was at the funeral of a nationalist lawmaker, where he gave brief remarks and did not directly address the war. On Monday he met the visiting chancellor of Austria at a country residence outside Moscow but no images of that meeting were released.